Louisiana Pilot Car Requirements
When does an oversize or overweight load need a pilot car or escort in Louisiana? Here are the width, height, length and weight thresholds that trigger an escort, a height pole, or a police escort.
Escort & pilot car requirements
- Police / law-enforcement escortover 18 ft width
Width over 18 ft: 2 State Police escorts required on both 2-lane and 4+-lane highways.
- Police / law-enforcement escortover 16'1" width
Width 16'1"–18': 1 State Trooper escort required on both 2-lane and 4+-lane highways.
- Lead (front) pilot carover 12 ft width
Width 12 ft up to 16 ft: 1 front civilian escort on 2-lane highways; 1 rear civilian on 4+-lane.
- Chase (rear) pilot carover 12 ft width
Width 12 ft up to 16 ft: 1 rear civilian escort on 4+-lane highways; 1 front on 2-lane.
- Police / law-enforcement escortover 125 ft length
Length over 125 ft: State Police escort required.
- Chase (rear) pilot carover 90 ft length
Length 90–125 ft: 1 rear escort on both 2-lane and 4+-lane highways.
- Height-pole escortover 15'10" height
Height over 15'10" off interstate: front escort with height pole required.
Travel restrictions
- Daylight-only travelover 12 ft width
Oversize loads must travel daylight hours only unless the permit specifically authorizes nighttime movement.
- Weekend / holiday restrictionover 12 ft width
No travel New Year's, Thanksgiving, Christmas. Mardi Gras areas subject to additional restrictions.
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Informational only. These thresholds are compiled from published Louisiana DOT references and are not legal or operational advice. Permit conditions can differ from the general tables, and rules change — always verify with the Louisiana permit office before you move a load.
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