Free tool
Oversize load checker: legal, permit or escort?
Use this oversize load checker before you quote a wide or tall load. Enter its width, height and gross weight, pick the states on the route, and see whether it is legal, which limits it breaks, and where each state's escort rules start.
Updated October 2026 / Estimates only, not financial or legal advice
= 12 ft 6 in. Legal is 102 in (8 ft 6 in).
= 13 ft 4 in. Deck height plus freight height.
States set height. Use the lowest limit on your route.
Truck, trailer and cargo. Axle limits are not checked here.
Overhang limits for permits vary by state.
Example defaults (a 12 ft 6 in wide machine from Texas to Kansas), replace with your load. Nothing you type leaves your browser.
Result
Permit needed
48 in over width. You need an oversize or overweight permit from every state on the route. Warning flags are required at the extremes of the load (49 CFR 393.87).
| State | Width escort | State rule | Base single-trip fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas | Below this state's first width escort trigger | Over 14 ft: one front and one rear | $40 |
| Oklahoma | Escort likely on at least some roads | Over 12 ft: front on two-lane, rear on multilane | $40 |
| Texas | Below this state's first width escort trigger | Over 14 ft: front on two-lane, rear on multilane | $60 |
State rules checked Oct 26, 2026. Escorts shown for width only; height, length and overhang can add escorts. Your permit's conditions always control.
This load needs permits and likely escorts in OK. Our dispatchers line up permits with the broker before you roll, and you approve every load.
How to read the result
- Legal size and weight means the load is within 8 ft 6 in wide, the legal height you picked and 80,000 lb gross. You still need legal axle weights and state length limits.
- Permit needed lists every limit the load breaks and by how much. One limit is enough: every state on the route then needs its own permit.
- Warning flags appear when the load is over width or hangs 4 ft or more past the rear. Federal rules require flags at the extremes of a projecting load (49 CFR 393.87).
- Width escort, by state compares your width with the first width at which each state's rules call for an escort on at least some roads. "Escort likely" means you are past that point; "below" means width alone does not trigger one; "check the state page" means the state sets escorts by route map or its documents disagree.
- Base single-trip fee is the state's fee for an over-size load at legal weight. Overweight, mileage, routing and escorts cost more.
How the oversize load checker works
| Check | Rule used | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Width | Over 102 in | 23 CFR 658.15 |
| Height | Over the legal height you pick (13 ft 6 in, 14 ft or 14 ft 6 in) | State law |
| Weight | Over 80,000 lb gross | 23 CFR 658.17 |
| Flags | Over width, or 4 ft or more of rear overhang | 49 CFR 393.87 |
| Escort by state | Width in feet compared with the state's first escort trigger: past it for "over X ft" rules, at or past it for "X ft or wider" rules | Each state's own page, checked October 26, 2026 |
The escort triggers and fees come from the same 48-state table as our oversize load permits guide, where every row links to the state's own source. We re-check that table every year.
Assumptions and limits
- Width only for escorts. Height (often around 15 to 16 ft), overall length and overhang add escorts in most states; the checker does not count those.
- No axle weights. A load can be under 80,000 lb and still overweight on one axle group. Check axle weights and the bridge formula separately.
- State rules change. The permit you are issued always controls, including escort count, travel hours and route.
- Not legal advice. It is a first screen before you call the broker or the permit office.
Use it before you quote a load
- Get exact dimensions from the shipper: width at the widest point, height of the freight, and how far it hangs past the trailer.
- Add your deck height to the freight height. On a flatbed around 5 ft high, freight over about 8 ft 6 in tall goes over 13 ft 6 in; a step deck buys you more room. Our flatbed load securement guide covers how wide and tall freight is tied down.
- Pick every state on the route and look at the escort column.
- Ask the broker who buys the permits and escorts, and get it on the rate con.
- Price the extra time: daylight-only travel and escorts can stretch a two-day run.
Wide and tall loads are a big part of the flatbed loads and step deck freight we book, and our dispatchers handle the permit questions before you accept. More calculators are on the tools page.
FAQ
Questions about this calculator
At what width does a load need a permit?
Over 8 ft 6 in (102 in) wide on the National Network (23 CFR 658.15). Approved safety devices such as mirrors are not counted, but the load is. Even one inch over means a permit from every state on the route.
Does this checker tell me exactly how many escorts I need?
No. It shows whether a load is past each state's first width escort trigger, which is the most common reason for an escort. The number and position of escorts change with road type, width, height and length, and the permit spells them out. Treat the checker as a first screen.
Why do I pick the legal height myself?
Height is set by each state, not by federal law. Most states use 13 ft 6 in, and some allow 14 ft or more. Pick the lowest limit on your route, and remember routes can have lower bridges than the state limit.
Is a load over 80,000 lb always over weight?
Over 80,000 lb gross on the Interstate needs an overweight permit (23 CFR 658.17). A load under 80,000 lb can still be illegal if one axle group is over its limit or the bridge formula is not met, which this checker does not test.
Sources
- 23 CFR 658.15, width (eCFR) (checked Oct 26, 2026)
- 23 CFR 658.17, weight (eCFR) (checked Oct 26, 2026)
- 49 CFR 393.87, warning flags on projecting loads (eCFR) (checked Oct 26, 2026)
- FHWA, Truck Size and Weight program (checked Oct 26, 2026)
- State escort and fee rules: the 48 state sources listed in our oversize load permits guide (checked Oct 26, 2026)
Wide or tall load? We sort the permits first
Our dispatchers book flatbed, step deck and conestoga loads against your minimum rate. 6% of gross, 5% for 2+ trucks.