Tennessee Pilot Car Requirements
When does an oversize or overweight load need a pilot car or escort in Tennessee? 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
TDOT Rule 1680-7-1-.02 lets the issuing authority require a police escort at its discretion, with no published width threshold. The 18' figure here is a planning assumption, not a rule — and width over 16' is generally NOT PERMITTED at all absent a public-necessity showing (1680-7-1-.08). Call the permit office.
- Lead (front) pilot carover 17 ft width
Width over 16' is generally not permitted in Tennessee (1680-7-1-.08); the 2-front/1-rear schedule at 17'–18' comes from the HOUSEBOAT rule (1680-7-1-.16), not the general width rule. Treat as a planning figure and confirm with the permit office.
- Chase (rear) pilot carover 17 ft width
Rear escort. Width over 16' is generally not permitted (1680-7-1-.08); the 17'–18' schedule comes from the HOUSEBOAT rule (1680-7-1-.16). Confirm with the permit office.
- Lead (front) pilot carover 13'6" width
Front + rear escort on all highways, in radio contact at all times. TDOT Rule 1680-7-1-.06(4) starts this two-escort tier at over 14'; this entry fires 6" early on purpose (a 13'9" load is a one-escort move under the rule).
- Chase (rear) pilot carover 13'6" width
Front + rear escort on all highways, in radio contact at all times. TDOT Rule 1680-7-1-.06(4) starts this two-escort tier at over 14'; this entry fires 6" early on purpose.
- Lead (front) pilot carover 12'6" width
Over 12'6" up to 14' wide: one escort to PRECEDE on two-lane highways; one escort to FOLLOW on the Interstate system or four-lane highways. Flagperson required at any bridge with roadway width under 20' (TDOT Rule 1680-7-1-.06(3)).
- Chase (rear) pilot carover 12'6" width
Over 12'6" up to 14' wide on the Interstate system or four-lane highways: one escort FOLLOWS the movement (TDOT Rule 1680-7-1-.06(3)).
- Lead (front) pilot carover 10'0" width
Over 10' up to 12'6" wide: one escort must PRECEDE the movement wherever the minimum pavement width (excluding paved shoulders) is LESS THAN 24 FEET. No escort on the Interstate system, four-lane highways, or two-lane highways with 24'+ pavement. A flagperson is required at all bridges with roadway width under 20' (TDOT Rule 1680-7-1-.06(2)). Encoded at the lowest binding trigger because road class is not in this schema — check the actual route.
- Lead (front) pilot carover 120'1" length
Length over 120'1": 1 front + 1 rear escort on both 2-lane and 4+-lane highways.
- Chase (rear) pilot carover 120'1" length
Length over 120'1": 1 front + 1 rear escort on both 2-lane and 4+-lane highways.
- Chase (rear) pilot carover 85 ft length
Over 85' up to 120' long: one escort immediately FOLLOWING the movement (TDOT Rule 1680-7-1-.11(2)).
- Height-pole escortover 15 ft height
Height over 15 ft: 1 front escort with height pole required on both 2-lane and 4+-lane highways.
Travel restrictions
- Daylight-only travelover 12'6" width
Loads over 12'6" wide restricted 7–9am and 4–6pm Mon–Fri in Davidson, Hamilton, Shelby, Knox, and Rutherford counties.
- Weekend / holiday restrictionover 12'6" width
Escorted loads restricted noon preceding through end of Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.
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Informational only. These thresholds are compiled from published Tennessee DOT references and are not legal or operational advice. Permit conditions can differ from the general tables, and rules change — always verify with the Tennessee permit office before you move a load.
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