Georgia vs Tennessee Oversize Load Rules
What changes for an oversize load between Georgia and Tennessee: legal height, pilot car triggers, height poles and travel hours.
I-75, reviewed October 2026
What changes at the Georgia and Tennessee border
- Legal height
- Both states use the same legal height, 13 ft 6 in.
- First pilot car
- Georgia requires a pilot car from 12 ft 0 in wide; Tennessee waits until 12 ft 7 in. A load between those widths needs an escort in Georgia only.
- Second pilot car
- Tennessee adds a second escort at 13 ft 7 in wide; Georgia at 14 ft 8 in.
- Height pole
- Tennessee requires a height-pole escort from 15 ft 1 in; Georgia from 15 ft 6 in.
Check one load against both states
Georgia
- Oversize permit required
- No width escort
Tennessee
- Oversize permit required
- No width escort
11 ft 0 in wide, 14 ft 0 in tall. Length is not checked here.
Side by side
| Rule | Georgia | Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| Legal width | 8 ft 6 in | 8 ft 6 in |
| Legal height | 13 ft 6 in | 13 ft 6 in |
| Legal length | GDOT permit page lists legal overall length of 100 ft including overhang (legal dimensions 8 ft 6 in wide, 13 ft 6 in high). | Straight truck 45 ft; straight truck with trailer 65 ft; tractor-semitrailer 50 ft kingpin to rear of trailer (52 ft autos/livestock); twin trailers 28.5 ft each; no overall tractor-trailer cap listed. |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lbs | 80,000 lbs |
| First pilot car at | 12 ft 0 in | 12 ft 7 in |
| Second pilot car at | 14 ft 8 in | 13 ft 7 in |
| Height pole at | 15 ft 6 in | 15 ft 1 in |
| Length escort at | 75 ft 0 in | 90 ft 1 in |
| Travel hours | 30 minutes after sunrise to 30 minutes before sunset, unless the permit says otherwise. No permit movement into or through the I-285 perimeter unless picking up or delivering there, and permits are not valid 6-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. Monday-Friday. Loads of legal dimensions under 125,000 lb may move continuously. No movement in fog, snow or ice; loads over 12 ft wide may not move when visibility is under 600 ft. | Loads not requiring escorts: continuous (24/7) travel. Escorted loads must observe rush-hour county curfews, Mon-Fri 7-9 am and 4-6 pm in Davidson, Rutherford, Knox, Shelby and Hamilton counties. Superloads, houseboats and mobile homes: daylight only; site-built houses daylight only unless local authorities stipulate night. |
| Weekends | GDOT permit page says movement is Monday through Sunday (daylight window), houses Monday-Saturday 9 a.m.-3 p.m. only; the page also contains a line 'Travel Days: Monday through Saturday', so verify weekend allowance on the issued permit. | No general weekend restriction; non-escorted loads travel continuously. Escorted travel is restricted around holiday weekends (see holiday). |
| Trip permit | $30.00 | $30.00 |
| Permit office | GDOT Office of Permits / Georgia Oversize-Overweight Permit Unit | (615) 741-3821 (TDOT OS/OW Permit Office) |
Go deeper
- Pilot car detail: Georgia, Tennessee
- Full guides: Georgia, Tennessee
- Running through both without local plates? Estimate the trip permit cost
- Moving over a holiday? Check holiday restrictions
Georgia and Tennessee FAQs
- Do Georgia and Tennessee require pilot cars at the same width?
- Georgia requires a pilot car from 12 ft 0 in wide; Tennessee waits until 12 ft 7 in. A load between those widths needs an escort in Georgia only.
- Is the legal truck height the same in Georgia and Tennessee?
- Both states use the same legal height, 13 ft 6 in.
- Do I need a separate permit for each state between Georgia and Tennessee?
- Yes. Oversize and overweight permits are issued by each state, so a move through both needs a permit from GDOT Office of Permits / Georgia Oversize-Overweight Permit Unit and one from TDOT OS/OW Permit Office, each with its own route, hours and escort conditions.
- Which travel hours apply in Georgia and Tennessee?
- Georgia: 30 minutes after sunrise to 30 minutes before sunset, unless the permit says otherwise. No permit movement into or through the I-285 perimeter unless picking up or delivering there, and permits are not valid 6-9 a.m. and 4-6 p.m. Monday-Friday. Loads of legal dimensions under 125,000 lb may move continuously. No movement in fog, snow or ice; loads over 12 ft wide may not move when visibility is under 600 ft. Tennessee: Loads not requiring escorts: continuous (24/7) travel. Escorted loads must observe rush-hour county curfews, Mon-Fri 7-9 am and 4-6 pm in Davidson, Rutherford, Knox, Shelby and Hamilton counties. Superloads, houseboats and mobile homes: daylight only; site-built houses daylight only unless local authorities stipulate night. The conditions printed on the permit control.
Compiled from each state's published permit rules, reviewed October 2026. Not legal advice; the conditions printed on your permit control.