Missouri sits at the geographic center of the contiguous United States and is one of the country's most significant freight crossroads. I-70 (Baltimore to Denver, crossing Kansas City to St. Louis), I-44 (St. Louis to Oklahoma City), I-29 (Kansas City to Fargo), I-55 (St. Louis to Memphis), and I-35 (Kansas City to the Iowa border) converge here, making Missouri a natural hub for long-haul through-freight. The Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) oversees highway infrastructure and oversized/overweight permits, while the Missouri Department of Revenue handles IRP and IFTA registration for motor carriers. Kansas City and St. Louis are both major intermodal terminals, with BNSF, UP, Norfolk Southern, and CSX intermodal ramps feeding the regional trucking network. Agricultural freight — corn, soybeans, and livestock — dominates rural Missouri, while manufactured goods, automotive parts (Ford truck plant in Claycomo), and consumer goods move through the metro areas. Missouri authorizes longer-combination vehicles on certain segments of the Kansas City to St. Louis I-70 corridor. The Missouri River and Mississippi River crossings add bridge-weight and routing considerations for oversize moves.
| GVWR | 80,000 lbs federal interstate standard |
| Single axle | 20,000 lbs |
| Tandem axle | 34,000 lbs |
Missouri follows federal weight limits on Interstates. Agricultural commodity vehicles may operate above standard weight limits on state routes under harvest exemptions. Overweight permits available from MoDOT for non-divisible loads.
State trucking association: Missouri Trucking Association
Yes. Missouri authorizes longer-combination vehicles, including turnpike doubles, on designated segments of I-70 between Kansas City and St. Louis under an annual LCV permit issued by MoDOT. The permit specifies eligible routes, maximum lengths, weight limits, and driver qualification requirements. LCVs are not permitted on non-designated routes without additional authorization.
Yes. Missouri provides harvest season weight exemptions for agricultural vehicles hauling unprocessed commodities (grain, cotton, livestock) on state routes. The exemptions typically allow operation above standard weight limits during designated harvest periods. Carriers should contact MoDOT Motor Carrier Services before each season for the current exemption terms and eligible route listings.
Both IRP apportioned registration and IFTA fuel tax licensing are administered by the Missouri Department of Revenue's Motor Vehicle Bureau. Applications and renewals can be submitted through the Missouri DOR online portal.
I-70 between Kansas City and St. Louis is one of the highest-volume commercial truck corridors in the country and is subject to commercial vehicle enforcement stations. I-44 connects St. Louis to the Southwest freight market. I-29 carries significant grain and agricultural freight north from Kansas City. All major corridors have active MoDOT enforcement presence, and weigh-in-motion stations are in operation on key segments.