Louisiana Pilot Car Requirements
When Louisiana requires a pilot car, how many, and when a height pole car is needed. Set by Louisiana DOTD Truck Permit Office (LaGeaux permit system).
LA, reviewed October 2026
The short answer for Louisiana
Loads wider than 12 ft 0 in need a pilot car in Louisiana. A height-pole escort is required at 15 ft 10 in tall.
Louisiana asks for a first pilot car at 12 ft 0 in wide. 28 of the 45 states that publish a width wait until a wider load, and 1 start earlier; 15 more match it.
Private escort required for loads over 12 ft wide up to 16 ft wide and over 90 ft up to 125 ft long; state police escort over 16 ft wide or over 125 ft long; pole truck over 15 ft 10 in high (not on interstate-only moves).
Check your load for Louisiana
Oversize permit required in Louisiana
- Width 10 ft 0 in exceeds the 8 ft 6 in legal limit.
No width-based pilot car at 10 ft 0 in wide.
Louisiana escort thresholds
| First pilot car | 12 ft 0 in wide and over |
|---|---|
| Second pilot car | Not confirmed: check your permit conditions |
| Height-pole escort | 15 ft 10 in tall and over |
| Length escort | 90 ft 0 in long and over |
Pilot cars by load width in Louisiana
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 | 1 pilot car |
| 13 ft 0 in | 1 pilot car |
| 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 Louisiana
| Load height | Permit needed | Height pole car |
|---|---|---|
| 13 ft 6 in | No | Not required |
| 14 ft 0 in | Yes | Not required |
| 14 ft 6 in | Yes | Not required |
| 15 ft 0 in | Yes | Not required |
| 15 ft 6 in | Yes | Not required |
| 16 ft 0 in | Yes | Required |
Before you book an escort
- Read the escort conditions on your Louisiana permit. They control over any summary, including this one.
- Ask about certification and insurance rules for escort drivers at Louisiana DOTD Truck Permit Office (LaGeaux permit system).
- See the full Louisiana 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 Louisiana with a neighbor: Mississippi, Texas.
Louisiana Pilot Car FAQs
- How wide can a load be in Louisiana before it needs a pilot car?
- Louisiana requires the first pilot car at 12 ft 0 in wide. Loads up to the 8 ft 6 in legal width travel without a width escort.
- When does Louisiana require a height pole car?
- A height-pole escort is required at 15 ft 10 in tall and over in Louisiana. 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 Louisiana?
- Louisiana lists a length trigger of 90 ft 0 in for an escort. Check the permit for how many escorts a long load needs.
- Do I need Louisiana pilot car certification?
- Escort driver certification and reciprocity rules differ by state and change often. The permit conditions from Louisiana DOTD Truck Permit Office (LaGeaux permit system) 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 Louisiana'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 12 ft 0 in wide, height pole at 15 ft 10 in, reviewed October 2026. Regulations change and this is not legal advice; the conditions printed on your permit control.