Tennessee permits
Tennessee Oversize Permit Rules
Legal limits, escorts, height poles, route surveys, travel times and superloads for oversize and overweight loads in Tennessee, each checked against TDOT.
Last checked: Oct 1, 2026
This page is general information only, not legal advice and not a permit. Rules change often and each state's permit and official rules are the final word. Always confirm limits, escorts, routes and travel times with the state permit office before moving a load. Reliable Transport LLC is not responsible for decisions made using this information.
- Legal size
- 8'6"W, 13'6"H, 80,000 lbs
- Height pole
- 15'1"H and up
- Route survey
- Over 15'6"H or over 16'W
Hauling through other states? Use our permit map and route planner
Open the route plannerTDOT permits
How Tennessee sizes up a heavy load
TDOT issues oversize and overweight permits for Tennessee state routes through its online permit system. These are the numbers we plan every Tennessee load with. Run your exact load and route through our permit tool to see every state on the trip.
Check your load
Enter your width, height, length and weight in our permit tool to see the Tennessee rules and every other state on your route, each with its official source.
Tennessee limits
Tennessee legal limits and permit thresholds
Over any legal limit, the load needs a TDOT permit.
Tennessee legal size, weight and permits
Official sources linkedEscorts
Tennessee escort requirements
Escort counts by width, height and length, and when police escorts come in.
Tennessee escorts by load size
Official sources linkedTDOT can require more escorts for complex or very large loads, and can require Tennessee Highway Patrol escorts on other complex moves.
Height and routes
Height poles and route surveys
What TDOT asks of tall and wide loads.
Height pole
At 15'1"H and up, the front escort runs a height pole at least as tall as the load to check every clearance. (TDOT oversize and overweight permit questions, Tennessee Rules chapter 1680 07 01 (May 2018))
Route survey
Over 15'6"H or over 16'W, TDOT requires a route survey on its Route Survey and Traffic Control Plan form before it issues the permit. (TDOT oversize and overweight permit questions, TDOT Route Survey and Traffic Control Plan form)
Between 15'H and 15'6"H
The 2018 rule text asks for an overpass survey at 15'H or more. The current TDOT permit questions page sets the survey at over 15'6"H, and TDOT decides. On a load from 15'H to 15'6"H, check with the TDOT permit office before you apply. (TDOT oversize and overweight permit questions, Tennessee Rules chapter 1680 07 01 (May 2018))
Travel times
Travel hours, nights, weekends and holidays
When a permitted load may move in Tennessee.
Hours
Permitted loads may move 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except as limited below or on the permit. Loads that need no escort may travel continuously. (TDOT oversize and overweight permit questions, Tennessee Rules chapter 1680 07 01 (May 2018))
Nights and weekends
Night and weekend moves are allowed under the same continuous movement rule. Superloads are limited to daylight hours. (TDOT oversize and overweight permit questions, Tennessee Rules chapter 1680 07 01 (May 2018))
Rush hours
Escorted loads can't move 7 to 9 a.m. or 4 to 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, in Davidson (Nashville), Rutherford (Murfreesboro), Knox (Knoxville), Shelby (Memphis) and Hamilton (Chattanooga) counties. The rule sets the same hours on the Interstate for loads over 12'6"W, 15'H or 90'L in counties over 250,000 people. (TDOT oversize and overweight permit questions, Tennessee Rules chapter 1680 07 01 (May 2018))
Holidays
Holiday restrictions apply to escorted loads. TDOT posts the restricted dates each year; we check the current notice before we schedule. (TDOT oversize and overweight permit questions, Tennessee Rules chapter 1680 07 01 (May 2018), TDOT 2026 holiday travel restrictions)
Superloads
Tennessee superload
A load over 165,000 lbs gross, over 16'W or over 15'6"H is a superload. Over 16'W or over 15'6"H also needs the TDOT route survey, and superloads move in daylight only. Loads over 165,000 lbs need TDOT Structures Division approval before the permit is issued. (TDOT oversize and overweight permit questions, Tennessee Rules chapter 1680 07 01 (May 2018))
See how we plan the biggest loads on our Superload Transport page.
Our moves
Heavy loads we have moved
Off highway haul truck move
An off highway haul truck moved from Tennessee to California.
Read the move →Moving a load in Tennessee?
Send the dimensions and weight. We file the TDOT permit and plan the escorts.
Request a quote →See every move on our Moves page.
Sources
Official Tennessee sources
Every rule on this page is taken from the TDOT pages and rule text below and confirmed by a second source. Rules change, and the permit itself always decides. Last checked: Oct 1, 2026.
Questions
Tennessee permit questions
What are the legal size and weight limits in Tennessee?
8'6"W, 13'6"H and 80,000 lbs gross. Legal length is 50' from the kingpin to the rear of the trailer on a tractor semitrailer, and 65' for a truck with trailer. Anything bigger or heavier needs a TDOT permit.
What is the oversize permit height limit in Tennessee?
Legal height is 13'6"H, so a taller load needs a permit. TDOT does not post one fixed maximum. At 15'1"H and up the front escort runs a height pole, over 15'6"H the load is a superload that needs a route survey, and over 18'H Tennessee Highway Patrol escorts are required.
When does Tennessee require a route survey?
TDOT requires a route survey for a load over 15'6"H or over 16'W, filed on the TDOT Route Survey and Traffic Control Plan form before the permit is issued.
How many escorts does an oversize load need in Tennessee?
Over 10'W to 12'6"W: 1 front escort on two lane routes under 24' of pavement. Over 12'6"W to 13'6"W: 1 front on two lane routes and 1 rear on the Interstate and four lane routes. Over 13'6"W: front and rear on all highways. Over 90'L to 120'L: 1 rear. Over 120'L: front and rear. 15'1"H and up: 1 front with a height pole.
When are police escorts required in Tennessee?
Tennessee Highway Patrol escorts are required when a load is over 18'W or over 18'H, in addition to the other escorts. TDOT can also require them on other complex moves.
Can oversize loads move at night or on weekends in Tennessee?
Yes. Tennessee permits allow movement 24 hours a day, 7 days a week unless the permit limits it. Superloads move in daylight only, and escorted loads can't move 7 to 9 a.m. or 4 to 6 p.m. on weekdays in Davidson, Rutherford, Knox, Shelby and Hamilton counties.
Are there holiday restrictions for oversize loads in Tennessee?
Yes, for escorted loads. TDOT posts the restricted holiday dates each year, and loads that need no escort may keep moving.
What is a superload in Tennessee?
A load over 165,000 lbs gross, over 16'W or over 15'6"H. Superloads move in daylight only, and over 16'W or over 15'6"H also needs a route survey.
How long is a Tennessee single trip permit good for?
A Tennessee single trip permit is good for 10 days.
Keep planning
More for your Tennessee move
Permit rules in other states
Hauling through other states? Use our permit map and route planner
Open the route plannerReliable Transport LLC | Reliable Heavy Haul
Ready to move it?
We haul oversize and overweight loads across the USA and Canada from our home base at 7660 W Third St, Dayton, OH 45417. Send your load details and we will plan the Tennessee permit, route and escorts.
This page is general information only, not legal advice and not a permit. Rules change often and each state's permit and official rules are the final word. Always confirm limits, escorts, routes and travel times with the state permit office before moving a load. Reliable Transport LLC is not responsible for decisions made using this information.