Heavy haul truck hauling an oversized load in Georgia

Quickway Transports

Georgia Overweight & Oversize Permits for Heavy Haul

Name: Quickway Transports
Address: 1271 West Main St, Riverhead, NY, 11901, US
Telephone: +1 (631) 898-4248

Georgia permit rules, legal limits and escort triggers, and how we book heavy haul carriers for moves in and through the state.

Quick answer

How do I get an oversize permit in Georgia?

Georgia oversize permits are issued through GAPROS, run for GDOT by the Department of Public Safety's Oversize Permit Unit. Fees are flat with no mileage charge: $30 for a single trip up to 16 ft wide, 16 ft high and 150,000 lbs, $125 for a superload up to 180,000 lbs, and $500 above that. Loads move from 30 minutes after sunrise to 30 minutes before sunset.

Updated November 2026 by the Quickway Transports broker team (FMCSA MC# 1245224).

Heavy Haul | GA

Heavy haul and oversize freight in Georgia

Georgia's heavy freight centers on two places: the Port of Savannah, where machinery and project cargo arrive by sea, and metro Atlanta, where I-75, I-85 and I-20 meet. Equipment heading inland from Savannah often takes I-16 to Macon before turning north or west. We book carriers for construction machines, imported industrial equipment and transformers moving in and through the state.

Atlanta shapes many Georgia routes. Inside the I-285 perimeter, a permitted load may enter only to pick up or deliver there, with proof, and never during the 7 to 9 AM and 3 to 6 PM weekday rush. Loads that only pass through are routed around the perimeter area, which can add miles but keeps the permit valid.

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What are the legal size and weight limits in Georgia?

Under the oversize load regulations in Georgia, a load above any of these limits needs a state oversize or overweight permit.

Width	8 ft 6 in
Height	13 ft 6 in
Semitrailer length	53 ft
Gross weight	80,000 lbs
Single axle	20,340 lbs
Tandem axle	34,000 lbs

Georgia's single-axle limit is 20,340 lbs: 18,000 lbs plus a 13% statutory variance. Off the Interstate and National Highway System, overall length is capped at 100 ft.

Who issues Georgia oversize permits?

GDOT is the legal issuer, but applications go to the Oversize Permit Unit run by the Georgia Department of Public Safety's Motor Carrier Compliance Division, through GAPROS (Georgia Permitting & Routing Optimization System). A single-trip permit stays valid for up to 10 allowable travel days.

A route must be requested for any load over 12 ft wide, 13 ft 6 in high, 100 ft long or 100,000 lbs, and the hauler's liability insurance certificate has to be on file before a permit is issued. The carrier's permit service handles the GAPROS filing.

Permit system: Georgia Permitting & Routing Optimization System (GAPROS)

What do Georgia oversize and overweight permits cost?

request_quote Single trip: $30 for a load up to 16 ft wide, 16 ft high and 150,000 lbs, whatever the distance.
request_quote Superload: $125 for a load over 16 ft wide or high, or from 150,001 to 180,000 lbs.
request_quote Superload Plus: $500 above 180,000 lbs, which also requires a complete bridge analysis.
request_quote Multitrip (same load and route for 10 days): $100. Annual permit: $150.
request_quote GDOT lists a card processing fee on top of the permit fee.

Worked example: a 14 ft wide, 120,000 lb excavator load from Savannah to Atlanta

It is under 16 ft and 150,000 lbs, so one $30 single-trip permit covers it, with no charge per mile. At 14 ft wide it sits in the 12 ft to 14 ft 8 in band: rear amber lights on I-16 and I-75, and a front escort as well on any two-lane stretch. A delivery inside I-285 has to arrive outside the weekday rush windows.

Georgia pilot car and escort requirements

local_police Over 12 ft and up to 14 ft 8 in wide: rear amber lights on limited-access highways, a rear escort on other four-lane roads, and a front escort plus rear amber lights on two-lane roads.
local_police Over 14 ft 8 in and up to 16 ft wide: front and rear escorts on two-lane highways; a rear escort on four-lane and limited-access roads.
local_police Over 16 ft wide: escorts set case by case, and GDOT may require a police escort.
local_police Over 75 ft long: rear amber lights or a rear escort; over 100 ft, a rear escort; over 125 ft, front and rear escorts.
local_police 15 ft 6 in high or more: a front escort with a height sensor, unless the hauler holds an NJUNS utility trip approval.
local_police 300,000 lbs or more: at least two police escorts and a traffic control plan.

What hours can oversize loads move in Georgia?

calendar_today Permitted loads move from 30 minutes after sunrise to 30 minutes before sunset, Eastern time, unless the permit says otherwise.
calendar_today Loads up to 125,000 lbs that stay within legal dimensions can travel around the clock, except in bad weather and on holidays.
calendar_today No permitted movement in fog, snow or ice; loads over 12 ft wide also stop when visibility drops under 600 ft or wind tops 25 mph.
calendar_today A single-trip permit's 10 travel days do not include Sundays or legal holidays, so check the permit face before planning a Sunday move.
calendar_today Inside I-285: pickups and deliveries only, and not 7 to 9 AM or 3 to 6 PM on weekdays.

Seasonal weight limits in Georgia

Georgia does not post spring frost limits or seasonal axle reductions. Its permit rules tie movement to weather instead, so a winter ice event or heavy fog halts permitted loads until conditions improve.

FAQ

Georgia Oversize Load Questions

Permits, escorts and travel rules for oversize moves in Georgia.

How much does a Georgia oversize permit cost?

Georgia charges flat fees with no mileage: $30 for a single trip up to 16 ft wide, 16 ft high and 150,000 lbs, $125 for a superload up to 180,000 lbs, and $500 for heavier loads, which also need a bridge analysis. A 10-day multitrip permit for the same load and route is $100, and an annual permit is $150.

Can oversize loads drive through Atlanta?

Only to pick up or deliver inside the I-285 perimeter, and the driver must carry proof of that stop. Even then, permits are not valid from 7 to 9 AM or 3 to 6 PM on weekdays, and permitted trucks may not park on the Interstate waiting for the window to open. Through loads are routed around the city.

When does a Georgia load need escorts?

Width drives most escort rules. From 12 ft to 14 ft 8 in wide, a load needs rear amber lights on limited-access highways and more escort coverage on smaller roads; from 14 ft 8 in to 16 ft it needs front and rear escorts on two-lane highways. Length over 75 ft and height of 15 ft 6 in or more have their own rules, and police escorts can be required above 16 ft wide.

What hours can permitted loads travel in Georgia?

From 30 minutes after sunrise to 30 minutes before sunset, Eastern time, unless the permit allows otherwise. That window is an hour shorter than the half-hour-before-sunrise rule used in states such as Ohio. Loads up to 125,000 lbs that stay within legal dimensions may run around the clock, but not in fog, snow, ice or on holidays.

Can you move equipment from the Port of Savannah?

Yes. We book carriers for machinery and project cargo leaving the Savannah terminals for sites in Georgia and neighboring states. Send the piece dimensions and weights, the terminal and the delivery site, and we plan the Georgia permit, escorts and route before the carrier is dispatched for pickup.

Sources

We last checked the figures above against these official sources in October 2026. Before each move, the carrier's permit service confirms the rules in force that day.

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