How to Ship Oversize & Overweight Loads in Texas
Texas figures verified against Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) · 2026-09· Last reviewed September 2026
Freight is legal in Texas until it outgrows the state's size and weight envelope; from that point, movement runs on permits, marked vehicles, and rules about when and where the load may travel.
Texas oversize thresholds
- Width
- over 8.5 ft needs a permit
- Height
- over 14 ft needs a permit
- Gross weight
- over 80,000 lb needs a permit
- Length
- over 59 ft needs a permit
Does your load need a permit here?
Skip the reading: enter your real dimensions and weight in the quote engine and it applies the thresholds of every jurisdiction on your actual route, prices permits and escorts where your load crosses the bands, and locks the price for 30 days.
Quote my load for Texas →Heavy equipment, vehicles, freight, containers: all categories priced.
When is a load overweight in Texas?
Weight is judged per axle group as well as gross: spread the same pounds over more axles and more of it is legal. Texas's lines, without and with a permit:
| Axle group | Legal (no permit) | Routine permit maximum |
|---|---|---|
| Single axle | 20,000 lb | 25,000 lb |
| Tandem (2-axle group) | 34,000 lb | 46,000 lb |
| Tridem (3-axle group) | 42,000 lb | 60,000 lb |
| Quad (4-axle group) | 50,000 lb | per permit conditions |
| Gross vehicle weight | 80,000 lb | governed by axle groups + engineering |
From routine permit to superload in Texas
Not every permitted load is the same size of problem. Texas tiers them:
Routine permitted
Permits issue in the normal course up to about 20 ft wide, 18 ft 11 in tall, 125 ft long.
Route-surveyed
Routine permits carry the load a long way: past 20 ft wide, 18 ft 11 in tall, or 125 ft long, Texas requires the applicant to certify a route inspection before the permit issues.
Superload
Texas calls the biggest moves Super Heavy: gross weight over 254,300 lb, or over 200,000 lb carried on less than 95 ft of axle spacing, or any load needing more than routine permit weights on an axle group. Super Heavy permits involve engineering review and can take longer to issue.
Permits in Texas: who issues them
Oversize and overweight permits are issued by the TxDMV Motor Carrier Division, through TxPROS (Texas Permitting & Routing Optimization System); the permit office answers at (800) 299-1700. Your carrier or its permit service deals with the office directly, and the cost is in your quote when your dimensions require it.
- •Permitted axle weight is also capped at 650 lb per inch of tire width, whichever is less than the group maximum.
- •On load-zoned (restricted) roads, permitted axle weights drop by 10 percent.
- •Texas signs legal height at 14 ft statewide, one foot more generous than the 13 ft 6 in common in eastern states.
The escalation ladder: from legal load to the move nobody makes
As dimensions grow, requirements stack in the same order everywhere; Texas sets the exact trigger points.
1 · Legal load
Inside the envelope above: no permit, no escorts, travels any lawful hour. Typical: a 20 ft container on a flatbed, a pickup on a hotshot, pallets in a van.
2 · Permitted, no escort
Over the envelope but inside the state's first escort band: permit, banner and flags, daylight-type windows. Typical: a 10 ft wide skid-steer-and-attachments load on a step deck.
3 · One escort
From the state's first width band (commonly in the 12 ft range): a certified pilot car leads on two-lane roads or follows on divided highways. Typical: a 12 ft wide dozer on an RGN.
4 · Two escorts / pole car
Wider still, and on two-lane routes: escorts front AND rear. Very tall loads add a height-pole car that proves every wire and bridge before the load reaches it. Typical: a 14 ft wide, 15 ft tall excavator on a lowboy.
5 · Police escort / superload
Texas calls the biggest moves Super Heavy: gross weight over 254,300 lb, or over 200,000 lb carried on less than 95 ft of axle spacing, or any load needing more than routine permit weights on an axle group. Super Heavy permits involve engineering review and can take longer to issue. At this scale expect route surveys, possible rolling closures, and utility crews lifting lines ahead of the convoy.
6 · Cannot move as one piece
Past what roads, bridges, and wires physically accept, or whenever the load is DIVISIBLE: authorities expect it reduced, not permitted. Booms come off, counterweights ship separately, buildings split into sections; the truly non-reducible goes to engineered transport, rail, or barge for part of the journey.
Escort requirements attach to the permit by dimension band and road type; TxDMV publishes them with the permit conditions and the route.
Examples are typical industry scenarios for scale, not Texas determinations; the permit for your move states the binding requirements.
Permits, escorts, and travel windows in practice
The mechanics in Texas follow the continental pattern: a single-trip permit describing the load and its route, escort vehicles from the state's width and length bands upward, marked banners and flags on the load, and travel windows that favour daylight and quiet roads. The details are Texas's own, and they are applied to your move at dispatch. For how each piece works everywhere, see the guides on pilot cars & escorts, permits, travel windows.
Holiday movement is allowed but capped harder: up to 14 ft wide, 16 ft tall, and 110 ft long on holidays; bigger than that waits for a working day.
Permits in Texas are issued by the TxDMV Motor Carrier Division; your carrier or its permit service deals with the office directly.
Common questions
When does a load count as oversize in Texas?▾
In Texas, a load is oversize once it exceeds 8.5 ft in width, 14 ft in height, or the state's length limits; beyond those figures a permit is required before it moves.
Do I need to get the Texas permit myself?▾
No. Movement permits attach to the carrier and vehicle, not to the shipper. When your dimensions require a Texas permit, the carrier or its permit service obtains it, the cost is priced into your quote, and the paperwork rides in the cab.
Will my load need a pilot car in Texas?▾
Escorts are triggered by width, length, and height bands that Texas sets itself, and the count changes with road type. Your quote prices escort bands from your declared dimensions, and the permit for the move states the binding requirement.
Can oversize loads travel at night or on holidays in Texas?▾
Daylight travel is the working default for oversize loads across North America, with curfews in major urban areas and restrictions on statutory holidays. Texas's current windows are applied to your route during dispatch planning, and your pickup and delivery estimates already reflect them.
Related: heavy equipment shipping · all jurisdictions · other states: Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · California · Colorado
This guide is provided free, for general information, so shippers can see how oversize and overweight moves work. It is not legal advice and not a permit determination. Limits, escort bands, fees, and seasonal restrictions change regularly; before relying on any figure, verify it with the jurisdiction's transportation department or permit office, or a licensed permit service. When you book with LoadLoom, our dispatch desk and your assigned carrier confirm the current rules for your exact load and route; that confirmation, not this page, governs your shipment. LoadLoom is operated by ShipVista Corporation, licensed FMCSA freight forwarder FF-53801, USDOT 3852466. Last reviewed September 2026. Spot an error? Email customercare@loadloom.com with the official source and our desk will verify and update.