Boat transport, the length of the Keys.
If it fits on a trailer and stays inside legal width, it goes on our truck. If it doesn’t, we’ll tell you that at the quote rather than at the ramp.
Where the line sits
Florida’s legal load width is 8 feet 6 inches. Under that, a boat on a trailer is a normal move and we handle it the way we handle a car — our truck, our driver, door to door.
Over 8’6” and it becomes a permitted load. The state requires an oversize permit from FDOT, oversize banners front and rear, and flags on anything that projects. Past 12 feet wide it needs an escort vehicle running with it — a pilot car, what most people down here call a trail driver. Wider still and that becomes two escorts, and on some routes a police escort.
Height matters too. Legal is 13’6”, and a boat sitting high on its trailer gets there faster than owners expect once you add the hull to the trailer deck.
What we do when it’s over the line
We don’t pretend to be a heavy haul outfit. What we do is arrange it properly with a company that is, and stay involved while they do it.
That matters more in the Keys than almost anywhere. There is one road, 42 bridges and no alternate route, so a wide load here is a planned operation rather than a booking. Permits have to match the actual route. Oversize loads are restricted around major holidays, which in the Keys is exactly when everyone wants their boat moved. And a load wide enough to need an escort on US-1 is a load that is going to hold up traffic on a two-lane bridge, which is its own set of decisions about timing.
We know who runs those moves down here and what the Keys require. That is the part you are actually hiring us for.
What we need to quote it
Four numbers and one question:
- Beam — the widest point of the hull, not the trailer. This is the number that decides everything.
- Length overall, including any bracket or platform hanging off the transom.
- Height on the trailer, measured from the ground to the highest fixed point.
- Weight, boat and trailer together, wet or dry — tell us which.
- Does it have its own trailer, and is that trailer roadworthy? Bearings, tyres and lights are the three things that end a Keys move early.
Guessing the beam is the most common way a boat quote goes wrong. Measure it if you can.
Common questions
Can you move it with the boat on it, or does it need to come off the trailer?
On its own trailer is normal and usually simplest. If it has no trailer, tell us early, because that changes the equipment entirely.
Do I need to do anything to the boat first?
Strip the loose gear, secure or remove electronics and canvas, and drain what you can. Anything not bolted down is a projectile at highway speed.
Who pulls the permits on an oversized move?
The carrier running it does, as part of the job. We tell you that a permit is needed before you book, and what it means for timing.
Can you take it out of state?
The Florida leg is ours. Anything crossing a state line goes to a partner carrier, and we say so up front rather than letting you assume.
Who hauls what, and where
In-N-Out Keys, LLC (USDOT 4120018), doing business as Florida Keys Auto Transport, is a veteran-owned Florida motor carrier holding Florida intrastate operating authority. We carry vehicles on our own truck within the state of Florida only.
Any move that begins or ends outside Florida is carried by a separate licensed and insured motor carrier we work with. In-N-Out Keys does not perform the interstate portion of those moves. We tell you which carrier is handling that leg before you book, and we stay your point of contact throughout.
