Louisiana vs Texas Oversize Load Rules
What changes for an oversize load between Louisiana and Texas: legal height, pilot car triggers, height poles and travel hours.
I-10, reviewed October 2026
What changes at the Louisiana and Texas border
- Legal height
- Texas allows 14 ft 0 in without a permit; Louisiana stops at 13 ft 6 in. A load between the two is legal in Texas and needs a permit in Louisiana.
- First pilot car
- Louisiana requires a pilot car from 12 ft 0 in wide; Texas waits until 14 ft 0 in. A load between those widths needs an escort in Louisiana only.
- Height pole
- Louisiana requires a height-pole escort from 15 ft 10 in; Texas from 17 ft 0 in.
Check one load against both states
Louisiana
- Oversize permit required
- No width escort
Texas
- 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 | Louisiana | Texas |
|---|---|---|
| Legal width | 8 ft 6 in | 8 ft 6 in |
| Legal height | 13 ft 6 in | 14 ft 0 in |
| Legal length | Single vehicle 45 ft; semitrailer 59.5 ft on designated truck routes; trailers in twin combinations 30 ft; 65 ft general combination length; specialized combos (boat/auto transporters) 75-80 ft. | Single motor vehicle 45 ft; semitrailer of a two-vehicle combination 59 ft; twin trailers 28.5 ft each; truck-tractor combinations no overall limit; other two-vehicle combos 65 ft; overhang 3 ft front and 4 ft rear. |
| Gross weight | 80,000 lbs | 80,000 lbs |
| First pilot car at | 12 ft 0 in | 14 ft 0 in |
| Second pilot car at | Not confirmed | 16 ft 0 in |
| Height pole at | 15 ft 10 in | 17 ft 0 in |
| Length escort at | 90 ft 0 in | 110 ft 0 in |
| Travel hours | Normal permit hours are sunrise to sunset (NWS). Loads over 12 ft wide are barred Mon-Fri 7-9 am and 3:30-5:30 pm on interstates in parts of Shreveport, Monroe, Lake Charles, Baton Rouge and New Orleans; over 12 ft wide not in New Orleans 7-9 am and 3:30-6 pm Mon-Fri on non-interstate. Night/inclement-weather movement generally prohibited except loads with no projection, legal width and length, height 14 ft 4 in or less and not over 120,000 lb. | Daylight only (30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset) unless night criteria are met, e.g. overweight-only loads, or interstate loads up to 10 ft wide and 100 ft long with legal overhangs; emergency night exceptions need front and rear escorts. Source is an older TxDOT Motor Carrier Handbook; verify current. |
| Weekends | No general weekend ban stated; permit days can be selected as Mon-Fri, Mon-Sat or Mon-Sun, and holidays and certain other days may be excluded. | No general weekend movement restriction found on TxDMV pages; permit office is closed weekends. Holiday restrictions apply. |
| Trip permit | $50.00 | $25.00 |
| Permit office | Louisiana DOTD Truck Permit Office (LaGeaux permit system) | (800) 299-1700 (TxDMV Motor Carrier Division) |
Go deeper
- Pilot car detail: Louisiana, Texas
- Full guides: Louisiana, Texas
- Running through both without local plates? Estimate the trip permit cost
- Moving over a holiday? Check holiday restrictions
Louisiana and Texas FAQs
- Do Louisiana and Texas require pilot cars at the same width?
- Louisiana requires a pilot car from 12 ft 0 in wide; Texas waits until 14 ft 0 in. A load between those widths needs an escort in Louisiana only.
- Is the legal truck height the same in Louisiana and Texas?
- Texas allows 14 ft 0 in without a permit; Louisiana stops at 13 ft 6 in. A load between the two is legal in Texas and needs a permit in Louisiana.
- Do I need a separate permit for each state between Louisiana and Texas?
- Yes. Oversize and overweight permits are issued by each state, so a move through both needs a permit from Louisiana DOTD Truck Permit Office (LaGeaux permit system) and one from TxDMV Motor Carrier Division, each with its own route, hours and escort conditions.
- Which travel hours apply in Louisiana and Texas?
- Louisiana: Normal permit hours are sunrise to sunset (NWS). Loads over 12 ft wide are barred Mon-Fri 7-9 am and 3:30-5:30 pm on interstates in parts of Shreveport, Monroe, Lake Charles, Baton Rouge and New Orleans; over 12 ft wide not in New Orleans 7-9 am and 3:30-6 pm Mon-Fri on non-interstate. Night/inclement-weather movement generally prohibited except loads with no projection, legal width and length, height 14 ft 4 in or less and not over 120,000 lb. Texas: Daylight only (30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset) unless night criteria are met, e.g. overweight-only loads, or interstate loads up to 10 ft wide and 100 ft long with legal overhangs; emergency night exceptions need front and rear escorts. Source is an older TxDOT Motor Carrier Handbook; verify current. 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.