Tennessee Oversize Load Permit Requirements
Legal truck dimensions, oversize load travel hours, pilot car and escort requirements, and how to order an oversize/overweight permit from TDOT OS/OW Permit Office.
TN, reviewed October 2026
Check your load for Tennessee
Oversize permit required in Tennessee
- Width 10 ft 0 in exceeds the 8 ft 6 in legal limit.
No width-based pilot car at 10 ft 0 in wide.
Tennessee Truck Legal Width, Height & Length
A truck and load at or under these dimensions can travel Tennessee highways without an oversize permit. Exceed any one of them and you need a permit before you move.
| Legal width | 8 ft 6 in |
|---|---|
| Legal height | 13 ft 6 in |
| Legal length | 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 |
Tennessee Oversize Load Travel Hours
- Daily movement window
- 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.
- Weekend movement
- No general weekend restriction; non-escorted loads travel continuously. Escorted travel is restricted around holiday weekends (see holiday).
- Holiday restrictions
- 2026 TDOT calendar: no ESCORTED travel after 12:00 noon on the preceding Friday through Memorial Day and Labor Day; from noon July 2 through July 4 (2026); from noon Nov 25 through the Sunday after Thanksgiving; Dec 24-25 and Dec 31-Jan 1 no escorted travel. Loads not needing escorts may travel continuously. Other holidays: normal travel except site-built houses and houseboats. See this year's holiday dates for all states.
Tennessee Pilot Car Requirements
Width 10'1"-12'6": front escort on 2-lane roads under 24 ft wide; 12'7"-13'6": front on 2-lane, rear on interstate/4-lane; 13'7" and up: front and rear; height 15'1" and up: front escort with height pole; length 90'1"-120': rear, over 120': front and rear.
| First pilot car (width) | 12 ft 7 in wide and over |
|---|---|
| Two pilot cars (width) | 13 ft 7 in wide and over |
| Height-pole escort | 15 ft 1 in tall and over |
| Length escort | 90 ft 1 in long and over |
Tennessee pilot car requirements by load width and height. Crossing a border? Compare with Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina.
How to order a Tennessee oversize permit
TDOT OS/OW Permit Office
Overweight as well? Check axle limits with the bridge formula calculator.
Crossing Tennessee without Tennessee apportioned plates? Estimate the temporary trip permit cost with the trip permit cost estimator.
Tennessee Oversize Load FAQs
- What are the oversize load travel hours in 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. Weekends: No general weekend restriction; non-escorted loads travel continuously. Escorted travel is restricted around holiday weekends (see holiday).
- When is a pilot car required in Tennessee?
- Width 10'1"-12'6": front escort on 2-lane roads under 24 ft wide; 12'7"-13'6": front on 2-lane, rear on interstate/4-lane; 13'7" and up: front and rear; height 15'1" and up: front escort with height pole; length 90'1"-120': rear, over 120': front and rear. Height: 15 ft 1 in and taller (height-pole escort).
- What is the legal truck width in Tennessee?
- The standard legal width in Tennessee is 8 ft 6 in (102 inches), the federal minimum width allowed on the National Network of highways. A load wider than that needs an oversize permit.
- How tall can a truck be in Tennessee without a permit?
- The legal height limit in Tennessee is 13 ft 6 in, measured from the road surface to the highest point of the vehicle or load. Taller loads need an oversize permit and a surveyed route for bridge and wire clearances.
- Can oversize loads move on holidays in Tennessee?
- 2026 TDOT calendar: no ESCORTED travel after 12:00 noon on the preceding Friday through Memorial Day and Labor Day; from noon July 2 through July 4 (2026); from noon Nov 25 through the Sunday after Thanksgiving; Dec 24-25 and Dec 31-Jan 1 no escorted travel. Loads not needing escorts may travel continuously. Other holidays: normal travel except site-built houses and houseboats.
- How do I get an oversize or overweight permit in Tennessee?
- Apply through TDOT OS/OW Permit Office ((615) 741-3821) or its online permit portal. Have your USDOT number, vehicle and load dimensions, axle weights and route ready. Permit expediting agents can file on your behalf if you need the permit the same day.
Regulations change. This page summarises published Tennessee rules as reviewed October 2026 and is not legal advice; the conditions printed on your permit control. Note: Escort thresholds are feet+inches converted to decimals (12'7" = 12.58). THP escort also required for loads over 18 ft wide or 18 ft high. Holiday end time not stated; Thanksgiving restriction runs through the Sunday after. Route survey needed over 15'6" high or 16 ft wide.