Call Before You Haul
Clean, Drain, Dry boats protect our waters
Aquatic invasive species pose considerable threats to our economy, environment, and quality of life.
Call Before You Haul is an effort to work collaboratively with national entities to reduce interstate transport of aquatic invasive species - for the benefit of all states and provinces.
In December of 2021, the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission launched Call Before You Haul, a program that provides a 24-7 toll-free number that commercial and other watercraft haulers can call before transporting a boat to Columbia River Basin states. The caller provides information about the source and destination of the watercraft, and the four states (as well as Canada and British Columbia) are notified that the watercraft is being shipped. The destination state, or province, then contacts the hauler to obtain additional information, or make arrangements for the watercraft to be inspected, and decontaminated (if applicable).
Information was being provided to each state for uploading to its commercial hauler and overweight/oversize website and permit application system, which watercraft haulers see when requesting transportation permits. In addition, direct outreach is made to watercraft carriers and shippers online, boat dealerships and organizations, and boat brokers to inform them about the program.
Why are we spending time and resources to encourage watercraft transporters to haul Clean, Drain, Dry boats?
1. It's the law in most states and provinces.
2. Doing so will protect water quality, native fish and wildlife, and the places where people enjoy recreating.
3. Trailered watercraft has been identified as the key pathway, or way, in which aquatic invasive species are moved from one water body to another. Preventing the introduction of species is critical to preventing their establishment.
4. Recent data shows that a full 1/3 of infested watercraft, i.e., dirty watercraft, intercepted by Pacific Northwest states are commercially hauled and recently purchased.
5. Preventing the spread of aquatic invasive species protects the boating industry, recreationists, and the many industries these depend on - such as tourism, transportation, hospitality, and others.
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For a link to a video of the 1-hour webinar, click here.
For a copy of the slide deck that was used for this webinar, click here.
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Montana Fish, Wildlife, & Parks produced this map illustrating watercraft intercepted by Montana watercraft inspection and decontamination staff as the watercraft were transported to their destination locations (blue dots) from their source water bodies (red dots). The agency confirmed that 1/3 of the vessels were commercially hauled and 50% of the watercraft were recently purchased.
Outreach to commercial watercraft haulers included this sticker haulers could affix to a clipboard or their dashboard (similar to an oil change sticker) as a reminder to call the toll free number prior to transport.
Call Before You Haul Progress Map
This map illustrates the progress being made with state departments of transportation, highway patrol, and motor vehicles to provide information about Call Before You Haul on their state permitting and transportation websites. Map updated 9 April 2024.
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State actions:
Alabama Department of Transportation
Added Call Before You Haul link to their Oversize/Overweight Permits website.
Alaska
Added CBYH link to their Commercial Vehicle Customer Service Center website: https://dot.alaska.gov/mscve/pages/permits.shtml.
Arkansas
Arkansas Highway Police Permit Office will be sharing Call Before You Haul information with any carriers hauling watercraft.
California
Caltrans added a link to the Call Before You Haul website on their permits homepage:
https://dot.ca.gov/programs/traffic-operations/transportation-permits
Colorado Department of Transportation
CDOT's Freight Mobility and Safety Branch is providing links to the Call Before You Haul webpage: https://freight.colorado.gov/resources
Delaware
Delaware DOT is willing able able to pass the information about the program on to any that asks, but they have no mechanism in place yet to share electronically.
Florida
FDOT posted the Call Before You Haul flyer on its PO website and the PAS webpage.
Idaho
Idaho DOT added link to Call Before You Haul information on Idaho DOT permitting website.
Illinois Department of Transportation
General Provisions (see page 3)
Indiana Department of Transportation
INDOT staff are working with Department of Revenue - Motor Carrier Division to post information on their OSW website
Iowa Department of Transportation
Link added to Iowa DOT Motor Carrier Resources page: https://iowadot.gov/mvd/motorcarriers/Oversize-Overweight-Trip-permits
Restrictions added to permits when the load description is a boat or watercraft vessel.
Kansas
Kansas DOT added "Northwest - Call Before You Haul" notification to their home page under Traveler Information, Aquatic Nuisance Species.
Kentucky Department of Transportation
Overweight/Over-Dimensional Services
Louisiana
Louisiana DOT added Call Before You Haul brochure to their permitting website.
Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles
Added Call Before You Haul information to Special Restrictions on Standard Permit Form for Intra/Interstate Travel for Non-divisible Oversize And/or Overweight Loads
Maryland
Maryland DOT added Call Before You Haul to their Commercial Vehicle Operations webpage. In addition, Maryland posted a notification on its Maryland One Permit System webpage for all who obtain permits, and emailed to all users with a login.
Michigan
Added the Call Before You Haul here: https://www.michigan.gov/mdot/business/truckers under Resources. They are exploring adding the same information to their OSOW web page.
Minnesota Department of Transportation
Annual Noncommercial Boat Hauler Permit | Single Trip Permit | Annual Commercial Boat Hauler Permit
Minnesota DOT Office of Freight and Commercial Vehicle Operations provides CBYH information on their website, and adds language about CBYH to their commercial boat hauler, non-commercial boat hauler annual permits, and single trip permits that have "boat" as the load description.
Missouri
Missouri DOT is distributing the Call Before You Haul flier to all OSOW boat permits.
Montana Department of Transportation
Commercially Transported Watercraft
New York Department of Transportation
Added "Boat Haulers - Call Before You Haul" to the Special Hauling (oversize) permits website.
Nevada Department of Transportation
State of Nevada Commercial Vehicle Service
New Jersey Department of Transportation
Added Call Before You Haul link to Bulletin section of Superload website.
New Mexico
New Mexico DOT added a link to their Ports of Entry webpage that provides information about trip and oversize/overweight permits.
North Carolina
North Carolina DOT added the Call Before You Haul Link to their Oversize/Overweight Permit Operations website.
North Dakota Highway Patrol
Added Call Before You Haul to their Motor Carrier Operations website.
Ohio Department of Transportation
Added Call Before You Haul information to their permits website.
Oregon Department of Transportation
Agency posted the information on their Motor Carrier News webpage: https://www.oregon.gov/odot/MCT/Pages/MCNews.aspx
Pennsylvania Department of Transportation
PENNDOT's Hauling Information Webpage
Rhode Island
Rhode Island DOT added the Call Before You Haul link to the RIDOT Permitting website and will permanently post on their FAQs sheet.
South Carolina
South Carolina DOT added the Call Before You Haul link to their OSOW website page.
South Dakota
Added Call Before You Haul to their permitting system as well as the South Dakota Trucking website.
Tennessee
Tennessee DOT has added the Call Before You Haul link to the TN OSOW Permitting website (TNTRIPS) under Support, and has added the Call Before You Haul flier to all single and annual permits.
Texas
Texas Parks and Wildlife added the link to their website. Texas DOT chose not to participate.
Utah Department of Transportation
Oversize Non-Divisible Load Provisions
Vermont Department of Motor Vehicles/Vermont Agency of Transportation
Vermont DMV/AT added the Call Before You Haul link/notification to their commercial vehicle operations page.
Virginia
Virginia DOT added CBYH information and hyperlink to the log on page of their new hauling permit website, EZ Haul. Carriers obtaining Hauling Permits will be able to locate this information on the main screen under "Important News and Announcements". The website is: ezhaulvirginia.com.
Washington
Added Call Before You Haul website link from Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife webpage to their Maps & resources for commercial vehicles | WSDOT (wa.gov)
Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Single Trip Oversize/Overweight Permit | Multiple Trip Permit to Transport
PENDING ACTIONS
Oklahoma
Will be posting on Oklahoma Department of Public Safety Size and Weights Permits website. The Size & Weights Permit Division within the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety was recently incorporated into the Oklahoma Department of Transportation.
Georgia Department of Public Safety/Department of Transportation
Agency will be updating boat/yacht transport permits to include Call Before You Haul information for next computer upgrade.
Wyoming
Wyoming Highway Patrol is connecting to PSMFC's Facebook page post on Call Before You Haul and adding the Call Before You Haul link to their permitting website.
Arizona
Arizona DOT is adding Call Before You Haul as a condition to their permits.
Massachusetts
Will be adding link to Call Before You Haul to their Mass511 online system.