North Carolina vs Tennessee Oversize Load Rules
What changes for an oversize load between North Carolina and Tennessee: legal height, pilot car triggers, height poles and travel hours.
I-40, reviewed October 2026
What changes at the North Carolina and Tennessee border
- Legal height
- North Carolina allows 14 ft 0 in without a permit; Tennessee stops at 13 ft 6 in. A load between the two is legal in North Carolina and needs a permit in Tennessee.
- First pilot car
- North Carolina requires a pilot car from 12 ft 1 in wide; Tennessee waits until 12 ft 7 in. A load between those widths needs an escort in North Carolina only.
- Second pilot car
- Tennessee adds a second escort at 13 ft 7 in wide; North Carolina at 14 ft 1 in.
- Height pole
- North Carolina requires a height-pole escort from 14 ft 5 in; Tennessee from 15 ft 1 in.
Check one load against both states
North Carolina
- 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 | North Carolina | Tennessee |
|---|---|---|
| Legal width | 8 ft 6 in | 8 ft 6 in |
| Legal height | 14 ft 0 in | 13 ft 6 in |
| Legal length | Single vehicle 40 ft; vehicle combination 60 ft; tractor with 53-ft semi-trailer has no overall length limit on all roads (NCDOT Permit Handbook). | 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 1 in | 12 ft 7 in |
| Second pilot car at | 14 ft 1 in | 13 ft 7 in |
| Height pole at | 14 ft 5 in | 15 ft 1 in |
| Length escort at | 110 ft 0 in | 90 ft 1 in |
| Travel hours | Sunrise to sunset, Monday through Sunday, for general commodities. Loads over 12 ft wide are barred 7-9 am and 4-6 pm within 10 miles of the city limits of Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. Continuous 24/7 travel only for permits up to 112,000 lbs with no overdimension. | 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 | Weekend travel permitted (Monday through Sunday, sunrise to sunset) apart from holiday restrictions. | No general weekend restriction; non-escorted loads travel continuously. Escorted travel is restricted around holiday weekends (see holiday). |
| Trip permit | $15.00 | $30.00 |
| Permit office | 1-888-221-8166 (NCDOT Oversize/Overweight Permit Unit (Central Permit Office)) | (615) 741-3821 (TDOT OS/OW Permit Office) |
Go deeper
- Pilot car detail: North Carolina, Tennessee
- Full guides: North Carolina, Tennessee
- Running through both without local plates? Estimate the trip permit cost
- Moving over a holiday? Check holiday restrictions
North Carolina and Tennessee FAQs
- Do North Carolina and Tennessee require pilot cars at the same width?
- North Carolina requires a pilot car from 12 ft 1 in wide; Tennessee waits until 12 ft 7 in. A load between those widths needs an escort in North Carolina only.
- Is the legal truck height the same in North Carolina and Tennessee?
- North Carolina allows 14 ft 0 in without a permit; Tennessee stops at 13 ft 6 in. A load between the two is legal in North Carolina and needs a permit in Tennessee.
- Do I need a separate permit for each state between North Carolina and Tennessee?
- Yes. Oversize and overweight permits are issued by each state, so a move through both needs a permit from NCDOT Oversize/Overweight Permit Unit (Central Permit Office) and one from TDOT OS/OW Permit Office, each with its own route, hours and escort conditions.
- Which travel hours apply in North Carolina and Tennessee?
- North Carolina: Sunrise to sunset, Monday through Sunday, for general commodities. Loads over 12 ft wide are barred 7-9 am and 4-6 pm within 10 miles of the city limits of Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill. Continuous 24/7 travel only for permits up to 112,000 lbs with no overdimension. 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.