The best DOT measuring stick for truckers is the Quick Click Compact Plus. It is the highest quality height stick you will find and its price is always reasonable.

For an in depth look at this load height stick and several other good load height sticks that vary in features and price I suggest you keep reading.

What Is Load Height?

Load height is the combined height of a trailer and its load. For example, Illinois (the state I work in) has a height limit of 13 feet 6 inches, if you had a flatbed that was 6 ft tall and a load that was 9 feet tall you would have a total load height of 15 feet.

This means that you are beyond the legal limit in Illinois. Many states do make exceptions and offer special routes that are verified as routes that accept loads that exceed their legal limit. You will have to make arrangements prior to traveling in the state though.

Knowing the load height of your trailer and load is the responsibility of the driver. When approaching a bridge it is important that the driver know whether or not his/her load will clear it or hit it.

Load height sticks are often called truck height measuring poles, truck load measuring sticks, or utility height sticks. They are all the same thing, basically a stick that is used to measure load height accurately.

Load Height Laws By State

The federal government does not have a federal law in place regarding load height. As you may know the federal government of the United States only has federal laws in place for weight and length restrictions of commercial vehicles. This leaves it up to each state to determine it’s maximum load height for commercial vehicles traveling in their boundaries

All states have a load height restriction between 13 feet 6 inches and 14 feet 6 inches. Don’t get yourself in trouble or receive a citation because your load height exceeds the state limits.

Truck drivers whose load height is too high risk serious injury, property damage, and possible legal trouble. To help you make your driving safer and problem free I have a list of load height laws for each state.

Truck Height Restrictions By State

These are the maximum load heights for each state. Make sure you know what the load height laws are for any state that you will be traveling into and out of.

Alabama- 13 feet 6 inches
Alaska- 15 feet
Arizona- 14 feet
Arkansas- 13 feet 6 inches
California- 14 feet
Colorado- 14 feet 6 inches
Connecticut- 13 feet 6 inches
Delaware- 13 feet 6 inches
Florida- 13 feet 6 inches
Georgia- 13 feet 6 inches
Hawaii- 14 feet
Idaho- 14 feet
Illinois- 13 feet 6 inches
Indiana- 13 feet 6 inches
Iowa- 13 feet 6 inches
Kansas- 14 feet
Kentucky- 13 feet 6 inches
Louisiana- 13 feet 6 inches
Maine- 13 feet 6 inches
Maryland- 13 feet 6 inches
Massachusetts- 13 feet 6 inches
Michigan- 13 feet 6 inches
Minnesota- 13 feet 6 inches
Mississippi- 13 feet 6 inches
Missouri- 13 feet 6 inches
Montana- 14 feet
Nebraska- 14 feet 6 inches
Nevada- 14 feet
New Hampshire- 13 feet 6 inches
New Jersey- 13 feet 6 inches
New Mexico- 14 feet
New York- 13 feet 6 inches
North Carolina- 13 feet 6 inches
North Dakota- 14 feet
Ohio- 13 feet 6 inches
Oklahoma- 13 feet 6 inches
Oregon- 14 feet
Pennsylvania- 13 feet 6 inches
Rhode Island- 13 feet 6 inches
South Carolina- 13 feet 6 inches
South Dakota- 14 feet
Tennessee- 13 feet 6 inches
Texas- 14 feet
Utah- 14 feet
Vermont- 13 feet 6 inches
Virginia- 13 feet 6 inches
Washington- 14 feet
West Virginia- 13 feet 6 inches
Wisconsin- 13 feet 6 inches
Wyoming- 14 feet

Who Needs To Use A Load Height Measuring Stick?

Load height sticks are used for a variety of professions. Some of the most common users of load height sticks are truck drivers who haul construction equipment, automobiles, any just about any oversize load. Height load sticks are also used by fire, rescue, and police.

A height load stick is a must if your vehicle is going under a bridge or overpass along your route. The small investment you make by buying a professional load height stick is worth the investment if it saves you from hitting an obstruction.

If you are going to be transporting a load through several states it is your responsibility to know whether or not your load height is safe, be sure to refer to the list of load height restrictions by state listed above.

There are a lot of different height sticks that you can choose from, some are better than others.

Vulcan Quick Click Height Stick

Height sticks by Vulcan are quickly becoming the industry standard due to their quality, ease of use, and affordability. Vulcan has a good reputation for building quality height sticks for truckers, especially auto haulers. Here are some of the pros of the Quick Click measuring stick:

Features:
– Includes metric and imperial (USA) markings for use all over North America
– Measures up to 15 feet high
– Made from strong fiberglass
– Features a Quick Click hinge with a no rust hinge
– Cross arm locks at 90 degrees
– Collapses to 5 feet 5 inches
– Comes with a storage bag

– 78% of the customer reviews on Amazon gave it 4 or 5 stars

Vulcan Quick Click Height Stick Compact Plus (recommended)

This is the compact version of the Quick Click stick above. It has the same features and is also made by Vulcan except this one is more compact when it is collapsed for storage. If your storage space is limited then this is the measuring stick for you. I recommend this one. It has all the features you will need to last a long time and it’s compact which means it won’t take up a lot of space in your truck.

Vulcan Brands Basic Load Height Measuring Stick

That’s right, another load stick by Vulcan. The difference between this one and the other two is that it doesn’t feature the Quick Click hinge. The price reflects the basic features though. A really good starter DOT measuring stick.

Features:
– Imperial (USA) measurements only, no metric on this one
– Two piece hinge. (No Quick Click on this one)
– Made from strong fiberglass
– Measures up to 15 feet
– Collapses to 5 feet 5 inches
– Comes with a storage bag

Cargo Equipment Orange Load Measuring Height Stick

The Cargo Equipment Load Measuring Stick is another one of the most common load sticks around. This one has all the standard features you need in a DOT height stick.

Features:
– Metric and imperial (USA) measurements
– Callapses to 5 feet 5 inches
– Measures up to 15 feet
– Fiberglass construction

BA Products 20 foot Load Height Measuring Stick

The new and improved BA Products trucker measuring stick extends up to 20 feet, the highest of all the load sticks. This is the only one that measures up to 20 feet.

Features:
– Comes with storage/carry bag
– Measures up to 20 feet tall
– Rubber foot to help grip pavement for accurate measurements
– Collapses to 4 feet 10 inches
– Marked with both metric and imperial (USA) measurements

Don’t Drive Without One

Don’t take chances by driving a load that is too high. The money that you spend on a new load height stick is well worth the money.

Remember, as the driver of the commercial vehicle you it your responsibility to make sure that your load is secured and safe for passage through each state. These load sticks can be used for many years and there is a model that fits everyone’s budget.

Quick Click Compact Plus: The Best DOT Measuring Stick