Heavy haul truck hauling an oversized load in Texas

Quickway Transports

Texas Overweight & Oversize Permits for Heavy Haul

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

Texas 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 oversize permits work in Texas?

TxDMV issues them through TxPROS. A single-trip permit costs $60, plus a highway maintenance fee once the load is over 80,000 lbs: $150 up to 120,000 lbs, rising to $375 above 200,000 lbs. Texas allows 14 ft high and a 59 ft semitrailer without a permit, and permitted loads move in daylight unless they qualify for night travel.

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

Heavy Haul | TX

Heavy haul and oversize freight in Texas

Texas oversize freight ranges from oilfield and pipeline equipment in the Permian Basin to petrochemical vessels on the Gulf Coast, wind components in West Texas and construction machines around Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Austin and San Antonio. I-10, I-20, I-35 and I-45 carry most of it, with US highways filling in across the rural west.

Texas legal limits are generous, but its permits are detailed. TxDOT district curfews in Austin, Fort Worth, El Paso and other cities are printed on each permit, the Houston District adds its own escort and signal rules for very wide or tall loads, and any load over 20 ft wide needs the carrier to inspect the route in person first.

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What are the legal size and weight limits in Texas?

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

Width	8 ft 6 in
Height	14 ft
Semitrailer length	59 ft
Gross weight	80,000 lbs
Single axle	20,000 lbs
Tandem axle	34,000 lbs

Texas sets the semitrailer limit at 59 ft, not counting the towing device, with no overall tractor-semitrailer limit. Legal overhang is 3 ft in front and 4 ft at the rear.

Who issues Texas oversize permits?

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles (TxDMV) Motor Carrier Division issues oversize and overweight permits through TxPROS (Texas Permitting & Routing Optimization System), while TxDOT supplies the routing, bridge analysis and district restrictions printed on each permit.

A general single-trip permit covers non-divisible loads up to 254,300 lbs; without a route inspection on file it is capped at 20 ft wide, 18 ft 11 in high and 125 ft long. Heavier loads need a Super Heavy permit, applied for 3 to 4 weeks ahead. The carrier's permit service files in TxPROS.

Permit system: Texas Permitting & Routing Optimization System (TxPROS)

What do Texas oversize and overweight permits cost?

request_quote Single-trip base fee: $60.
request_quote Highway maintenance fee by gross weight: $150 from 80,001 to 120,000 lbs, $225 to 160,000 lbs, $300 to 200,000 lbs, and $375 above that.
request_quote Over 200,000 lbs, a vehicle supervision fee is added: $35 for loads within the axle and spacing limits, $500 for superheavy loads ($100 if no bridges are crossed).
request_quote Time permits for oversize loads: $120 for 30 days, $180 for 60 days, $240 for 90 days.
request_quote Paying by card adds 2.25% of the fee plus $0.25 for each permit.

Worked example: a 13 ft wide, 150,000 lb dozer on an RGN from Houston to Midland

At 150,000 lbs the load falls in the 120,001 to 160,000 lb band, so the permit is the $60 base fee plus a $225 maintenance fee: $285, with no charge per mile. At 13 ft wide it needs no escort, but it must use the outside lane on multi-lane highways and follow any Houston District curfew printed on the permit.

Texas pilot car and escort requirements

local_police Over 14 ft and up to 16 ft wide: a front escort on two-lane roads, a rear escort on roads with four or more lanes.
local_police Over 16 ft wide: front and rear escorts on every road, and no controlled-access main lanes without a TxDOT exception.
local_police Over 17 ft high: a front escort with a height pole; over 18 ft, front and rear escorts.
local_police Over 110 ft and up to 125 ft long: one escort, in front on two-lane roads and behind on multi-lane highways; over 125 ft, front and rear escorts plus a route inspection.
local_police A load overhanging more than 20 ft past the front or rear of the deck: a rear escort.
local_police Over 20 ft wide, or 19 ft high and above: the carrier inspects the route and certifies it in writing before the permit is issued.

What hours can oversize loads move in Texas?

calendar_today Permitted loads move from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset.
calendar_today Night travel is allowed for overweight-only loads, and for loads on an Interstate that are up to 10 ft wide and 100 ft long with legal overhang.
calendar_today No statewide weekend ban, but some cities and counties restrict weekend movement; any such curfew is printed on the permit.
calendar_today Weekday rush-hour curfews apply in cities including Austin, Fort Worth and El Paso, typically 7 to 9 AM and 4 to 6 PM for wide or long loads.
calendar_today Holidays: loads are capped at 14 ft wide, 16 ft high and 110 ft long over the major holidays under TxDOT rule 43 TAC 28.4.

Seasonal weight limits in Texas

Texas has no frost-law season. Its closest equivalent is load zoning: on load-restricted roads, permit weights drop to 22,500 lbs on a single axle, 41,400 lbs on a tandem and 54,000 lbs on a tridem, and permits are not routed over load-restricted bridges above their posted capacity.

FAQ

Texas Oversize Load Questions

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

How much is a Texas oversize permit?

A TxDMV single-trip permit starts at $60. Loads over 80,000 lbs add a highway maintenance fee by weight: $150 up to 120,000 lbs, $225 up to 160,000 lbs, $300 up to 200,000 lbs and $375 above that, with a vehicle supervision fee over 200,000 lbs. There is no per-mile charge, and card payments add a small processing fee.

How tall can a load be in Texas without a permit?

14 ft, measured with the load, which is 6 in more than the 13 ft 6 in limit in most eastern states. Texas also allows a 59 ft semitrailer. Drivers over 13 ft 6 in are still responsible for clearing every bridge and wire, so tall loads still get a route check before dispatch.

When does a Texas load need escorts?

Width over 14 ft brings one escort (front on two-lane roads, rear on multi-lane), and over 16 ft brings front and rear escorts on every road. Height over 17 ft needs a front escort with a height pole, and length over 110 ft needs one escort, or two over 125 ft. Overhang beyond 20 ft needs a rear escort.

Can oversize loads move at night in Texas?

Only certain loads. Overweight-only permits can run at night, and so can loads on an Interstate that are no more than 10 ft wide and 100 ft long with legal overhang. Everything else moves from half an hour before sunrise to half an hour after sunset, unless TxDOT grants an exception after a route and traffic study.

What is a Super Heavy permit in Texas?

It is the Texas superload permit, needed when gross weight exceeds 254,300 lbs, when an axle group is over permit limits, or when a load between 200,001 and 254,300 lbs has less than 95 ft of axle spacing. Applications go into TxPROS 3 to 4 weeks ahead, include a written route acknowledgement, and carry a supervision fee.

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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