Indiana Oversize Load Signs, Flags And Lights

What Is Indiana’s Standard Oversize Sign?

M-204 specifies OVER-SIZE LOAD signs on the front and rear, at least 18 inches high and 6–8 feet long. Standard lettering is 12-inch black letters with a 2-inch stroke on yellow.

An existing seven-foot banner may fit the overall length while missing the letter requirement. Check the actual printed letters and the mounting locations. With a long rear projection, evaluate whether the rear sign is visible to following motorists rather than hidden behind the freight.

What Does Indiana Recognize From Another State?

The sheet says color combinations or wording approved by other states are permitted when the trip originates outside Indiana.

Keep that allowance within its written scope. It is not a statement that every foreign state’s sign size, lettering or mounting rule is automatically accepted. Document where the trip starts and which approval is being relied on. Ask Indiana Motor Carrier Services when the equipment differs beyond the wording/color described in this allowance.

How Must Indiana Flags Be Selected?

M-204 requires two red or orange flags, 18 inches square, at the widest extremities of the vehicle/load, visible to approaching traffic and in good condition.

Identify the widest point after loading, including an attachment that sits above the deck. Do not let the most convenient existing bracket decide where the warning belongs. Replace a torn or heavily soiled flag before dispatch and recheck it after a load configuration change.

Which Indiana Lighting Distinctions Matter?

The sheet requires low-beam headlights for permitted loaded movement. It separately specifies four high-intensity amber flashing lamps for mobile homes or sectionalized buildings at least 12 feet 4 inches wide. Escorts have their own top-mounted flashing amber light and approaching-traffic sign requirements.

Tell the crew whether the assignment is a sectionalized building rather than general machinery. A generic escort beacon does not establish that the building’s front/rear warning-lamp arrangement is complete. Read the full M-204 layout and the permit’s specific conditions, including any night or route restrictions. Check lamps with the combination assembled so the load cannot hide the rearward warning.

How Can RouteAll Help With This Movement?

Import the Indiana permit into RouteAll and compare the extracted route with the issued roads before the escort joins the move. Keep any approved out-of-state sign allowance with the original conditions. RouteAll does not establish sign reciprocity, inspect the building lights or certify the installed equipment. Get RouteAll For Permit Route Review.

Before You Roll

Match the Indiana panel and lettering, document any limited out-of-state allowance and inspect extremity flags. If the load is a manufactured building, complete its special lamp layout. Keep the escort roof light and sign inspection on a separate line.