RouteAllTennessee Oversize Load Permits: TNTRIPS, Escorts, Curfews
Official Sources Reviewed: November 12, 2026
A Tennessee oversize permit starts at $20 and is ordered only online through TDOT’s TNTRIPS; processing can take up to three days. Loads that do not need an escort may travel continuously, nights included. Escorted loads must stay out of five metro counties at weekday rush hours and stop over the major holidays.
On This Page
This page covers Tennessee only. Compare states in the pilot car requirements by state table and the permit cost table.
What Are Tennessee’s Legal Size Limits?
TDOT’s permit FAQ lists 80,000 pounds gross, 20,000 pounds on a single axle and 34,000 on a tandem, 8 feet 6 inches wide and 13 feet 6 inches high. Length limits depend on the vehicle: 45 feet for a straight truck, 65 feet for a straight truck with a trailer, and 50 feet from kingpin to the rear of a semitrailer.
How Do You Get A Tennessee Oversize Permit?
Every application goes through TNTRIPS. TDOT does not take permit orders by phone or email, and suggests a permit service if you cannot apply online. Regular single-trip and annual permits may take up to three days. Each permit is tied to one vehicle.
| Single-trip item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Width 8 ft 6 in up to 14 ft | $20 |
| Width 14 ft 1 in up to 16 ft | $30 |
| Width over 16 ft | $30 plus $5 per extra foot or fraction |
| Excess length | $20 |
| Excess height | $20 |
| Excess weight | $20 plus 6 cents per ton-mile |
When Does Tennessee Require An Escort?
| Load | Escorts |
|---|---|
| 10 ft 1 in to 12 ft 6 in wide | Front, on two-lane routes with pavement under 24 ft |
| 12 ft 7 in to 13 ft 6 in wide | Front on two-lane routes; rear on Interstates and four-lane routes |
| 13 ft 7 in wide and over | Front and rear |
| 15 ft 1 in high and over | Front, with a height pole |
| 90 ft 1 in to 120 ft long | Rear |
| 120 ft 1 in long and over | Front and rear |
Over 18 feet wide or 18 feet high, Tennessee Highway Patrol escorts are required on top of the others. TDOT says they take at least two officers for at least four hours, at $65 an hour per officer plus 13 cents a mile, and need a route survey and the THP request form. The permit office can require more escorts for complex loads.
When Can An Oversize Load Move In Tennessee?
“Loads which do not require escorts are allowed continuous travel.”
Escorted loads follow county rush-hour curfews, Monday through Friday from 7 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m., in Davidson (Nashville), Rutherford (Murfreesboro), Knox (Knoxville), Shelby (Memphis) and Hamilton (Chattanooga) counties. Superloads, houseboats and mobile homes move in daylight only.
TDOT’s 2026 holiday notice stops escorted travel around Good Friday, Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s; unescorted loads keep continuous travel. For Thanksgiving it says no escorted travel after noon on November 25 through “Sunday November 30th.” November 29 is the Sunday, so confirm the end with the permit office. Christmas covers December 24 and 25; New Year’s covers December 31 and January 1.
What Signs, Flags And Lights Does Tennessee Require?
Loads over 10 feet wide or 75 feet long carry an OVERSIZE LOAD banner front and rear: 7 feet long, 18 inches high, black 10-inch letters on yellow. Over-width loads carry 18-inch solid red flags at the widest points, front and rear; over-length loads carry one at the extreme rear. From 30 minutes before sunset, projecting loads need red side marker lamps and rear lamps. See the Tennessee signs guide.
What Is A Superload In Tennessee?
TDOT treats loads over 165,000 pounds gross, over 16 feet wide or over 15 feet 6 inches high as superloads. Its FAQ gives approximate processing times by weight: about 3 days up to 165,000 pounds, 5 days to 250,000, 15 days to 500,000 and 30 days above that. Applications that fail the bridge analysis come back with the failed bridges listed.
Where Does RouteAll Fit?
RouteAll does not issue or approve permits. Once Tennessee issues yours, upload the PDF and RouteAll lists every road it read, so you can check them against the permit, then warns you if you leave them. One free trip every month covers up to six state permits.
Before You Roll
- Decide whether the load needs an escort: that alone decides whether curfews apply.
- With an escort, time Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga and Murfreesboro outside 7 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m.
- Over 18 feet wide or high, book the Highway Patrol early: the minimum charge is two officers for four hours.
- Check the holiday notice before Thanksgiving and Christmas week.
Common Questions
How much is a Tennessee oversize permit?
TDOT charges $20 for width up to 14 feet, $30 from 14 feet 1 inch to 16 feet, and $30 plus $5 per extra foot over 16 feet. Excess length and height are $20 each; excess weight is $20 plus 6 cents per ton-mile. Checked November 12, 2026.
Can oversize loads travel at night in Tennessee?
Loads that do not need an escort are allowed continuous travel, according to TDOT’s permit FAQ. Superloads, houseboats and mobile homes are restricted to daylight hours.
When do you need a pilot car in Tennessee?
From 10 feet 1 inch wide on two-lane routes with pavement under 24 feet, a front escort. From 12 feet 7 inches, a front escort on any two-lane route and a rear escort on Interstates and four-lane routes. From 13 feet 7 inches wide, front and rear. Over 15 feet high, a front escort with a height pole. From 90 feet 1 inch long, a rear escort; over 120 feet, front and rear.
Further Reading
- How To Read A Tennessee Oversize Permit
- Tennessee Pilot Car Qualifications
- Oversize Load Holiday Restrictions By State
Sources And Scope
TDOT’s published permit FAQs, price table and holiday notice are the sources here. Where the holiday notice’s dates disagree with the calendar, confirm with the TDOT Permit Office. Conditions printed on your permit control your move.
- TDOT OS/OW Permit FAQs — Legal limits, permit axle weights, signs and lights, escorts, travel times, processing, THP escorts, superloads. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
- TDOT Single Trip And Annual Permit Prices — Width, length, height and weight fees. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
- TDOT 2026 OS/OW Holiday Travel Restrictions (PDF) — Escorted travel stops by holiday; unescorted loads keep continuous travel. Retrieved November 12, 2026.