Arkansas Pilot Car Requirements
When Arkansas requires a pilot car, how many, and when a height pole car is needed. Set by Arkansas Highway Police Division, ARDOT Permit Section.
AR, reviewed October 2026
The short answer for Arkansas
Loads wider than 14 ft 0 in need a pilot car in Arkansas. A height-pole escort is required at 15 ft 0 in tall.
Arkansas asks for a first pilot car at 14 ft 0 in wide. 6 of the 45 states that publish a width wait until a wider load, and 29 start earlier; 9 more match it.
On Interstates and divided 4+ lane highways loads over 14 ft wide need one rear escort; on other roads over 12 to 14 ft needs a front escort and over 14 ft front and rear; over 15 ft high needs a front clearance-bar escort; 100 ft+ needs one escort.
Check your load for Arkansas
Oversize permit required in Arkansas
- Width 10 ft 0 in exceeds the 8 ft 6 in legal limit.
No width-based pilot car at 10 ft 0 in wide.
Arkansas escort thresholds
| First pilot car | 14 ft 0 in wide and over |
|---|---|
| Second pilot car | Not confirmed: check your permit conditions |
| Height-pole escort | 15 ft 0 in tall and over |
| Length escort | 100 ft 0 in long and over |
Pilot cars by load width in Arkansas
Escorts to plan for at each width, from the thresholds above. The permit sets front and rear positions.
| Load width | Pilot cars |
|---|---|
| 8 ft 6 in (legal width) | None required for width |
| 9 ft 0 in | None required for width |
| 10 ft 0 in | None required for width |
| 11 ft 0 in | None required for width |
| 12 ft 0 in | None required for width |
| 13 ft 0 in | None required for width |
| 14 ft 0 in | 1 pilot car |
| 15 ft 0 in | 1 pilot car |
| 16 ft 0 in | 1 pilot car |
Height pole by load height in Arkansas
| Load height | Permit needed | Height pole car |
|---|---|---|
| 13 ft 6 in | No | Not required |
| 14 ft 0 in | No | Not required |
| 14 ft 6 in | Yes | Not required |
| 15 ft 0 in | Yes | Required |
| 15 ft 6 in | Yes | Required |
| 16 ft 0 in | Yes | Required |
Before you book an escort
- Read the escort conditions on your Arkansas permit. They control over any summary, including this one.
- Ask about certification and insurance rules for escort drivers at Arkansas Highway Police Division, ARDOT Permit Section (501-569-2381).
- See the full Arkansas oversize guide for legal dimensions, travel hours and holiday limits. New to the terms? The glossary covers pilot car and height pole.
Crossing a border? Compare Arkansas with a neighbor: Oklahoma, Tennessee.
Sources
- https://ardot.gov/divisions/arkansas-highway-police/oversize-and-overweight-permits/
- https://media.ark.org/ardot/2023-Permit-Rules.pdf
- https://codeofarrules.arkansas.gov/Rules/Rule?levelType=section&titleID=27&chapterID=224&subChapterID=274&partID=1006&subPartID=3920§ionID=24194
- https://ardot.gov/divisions/internal-audit/motor-fuel-audit-section/which-permit/
Arkansas Pilot Car FAQs
- How wide can a load be in Arkansas before it needs a pilot car?
- Arkansas requires the first pilot car at 14 ft 0 in wide. Loads up to the 8 ft 6 in legal width travel without a width escort.
- When does Arkansas require a height pole car?
- A height-pole escort is required at 15 ft 0 in tall and over in Arkansas. The pole is set just above the load so the escort driver finds low wires and structures first.
- Is a pilot car required for long loads in Arkansas?
- Arkansas lists a length trigger of 100 ft 0 in for an escort. Check the permit for how many escorts a long load needs.
- Do I need Arkansas pilot car certification?
- Escort driver certification and reciprocity rules differ by state and change often. The permit conditions from Arkansas Highway Police Division, ARDOT Permit Section state who may escort a load, so confirm certification and insurance requirements there before you book an escort.
- Where do the pilot car numbers on this page come from?
- They are taken from Arkansas's published permit rules and statutes, reviewed in October 2026, with the source links listed on this page. Where a figure could not be confirmed it is marked as not confirmed rather than estimated.
Summary of first pilot car at 14 ft 0 in wide, height pole at 15 ft 0 in, reviewed October 2026. Regulations change and this is not legal advice; the conditions printed on your permit control.