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Tennessee · Oversize & Overweight

Tennessee Oversize & Overweight Permits filed in TNTRIPS for you, 24/7

In Tennessee, a load over 8 ft 6 in wide, 13 ft 6 in high or 80,000 lbs needs a TDOT permit, and the TDOT Permit Office takes applications only online, through TNTRIPS. A single-trip permit runs 10 calendar days with no extensions. Send us the load and route: our permit desk quotes the price and files it for you.

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What will an oversize permit in Tennessee cost?

Enter your pickup and delivery locations, choose your permit type, and compare estimated permit costs across route options.

  1. Oversize and overweight permits across the lower 48 and DC
  2. State-by-state fee breakdown for each route option
  3. Order your permit or talk to a specialist
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Tennessee rules

Tennessee legal limits and permit rules

The size and weight Tennessee allows without a permit, when TDOT asks for escorts and when an escorted load has to stay parked.

Legal limits without a permit

Width
8 ft 6 in
Height
13 ft 6 in
Straight truck
45 ft
Straight truck with trailer
65 ft
Tractor-semitrailer, kingpin to rear
50 ft
Single axle
20,000 lbs
Tandem axle
34,000 lbs
Gross weight
80,000 lbs

Escorts

10 ft 1 in to 12 ft 6 in wide
Front escort on two-lane routes with pavement under 24 ft
12 ft 7 in to 13 ft 6 in wide
Front on two-lane routes, rear on interstates and four-lanes
13 ft 7 in wide and over
Front and rear escorts
15 ft 1 in high and over
Front escort with a height pole
90 ft 1 in to 120 ft long
Rear escort
Over 120 ft long
Front and rear escorts
Over 18 ft wide or high
Tennessee Highway Patrol, at least two officers for four hours; a fee applies

When you can move

Loads without escorts
Continuous, 24 hours, seven days
Over 12 ft 6 in wide, 15 ft high or 90 ft long
Off interstates 7–9 a.m. and 4–6 p.m. weekdays in Davidson, Rutherford, Knox, Shelby and Hamilton counties
Escorted loads, holidays
Easter, Memorial Day, July 4, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, Dec 24 to Jan 1
Thanksgiving 2026
No escorted travel from noon Nov 25 through Sunday Nov 30
Superloads, houseboats, mobile homes
Daylight only
Houseboats 16 ft 1 in to 17 ft wide
Tuesday to Thursday, 9 a.m.–4 p.m.
Weather
TDOT may restrict moves

Source: TDOT Oversize/Overweight Permits FAQ; TDOT Rules 1680-07-01 (2017); TDOT 2026 holiday travel restrictions; TDOT oversize truck route maps for Nashville and Memphis. Your permit's own conditions always apply.

Which permit you need

Tennessee permits for oversize and overweight loads

  1. One move

    Single-trip permit

    Valid 10 calendar days, with no extensions; a mobile home single trip runs 6 days. Regular permits take up to 3 days to issue.

  2. A full year of moves

    Annual permit

    365 days for over-dimensional and overweight loads, plus named loads such as mobile homes at 14 ft or 16 ft wide, roof trusses and tow trucks.

  3. Heavier axles

    Overweight permit

    With a trailer 10 ft wide or less, the highest permitted axle weights are 23,000 lbs single, 46,000 lbs tandem and 60,000 lbs on a three-axle group. Self-propelled fixed loads run up to 150,000 lbs.

  4. Over 165,000 lbs, 16 ft wide or 15 ft 6 in high

    Superload permit

    Over 165,000 lbs, TDOT's Structures Division must approve the move. Lead time is 5 days up to 250,000 lbs, 15 days up to 500,000 lbs and 30 days above that; over 15 ft 6 in high or 16 ft wide, a route survey comes first.

Routes and road rules

Where Tennessee routes add their own rules

Nashville and Memphis have their own oversize truck route maps, five metro counties hold escorted loads at rush hour, and TDOT tracks weak bridges.

  1. Nashville (Davidson and Rutherford counties)

    TDOT's Nashville oversize truck route map marks routes where loads over 13 ft 6 in high are prohibited.

    Escorted loads:Off the road 7–9 a.m. and 4–6 p.m. on weekdays in Davidson and Rutherford counties.

  2. Memphis (Shelby County)

    The Memphis oversize truck route map works the same way: on the marked routes, nothing over 13 ft 6 in high.

    Escorted loads:The same weekday curfew applies in Shelby County.

  3. Knoxville and Chattanooga

    Knox and Hamilton counties hold escorted loads off the road from 7 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday.

    Without escorts:The load keeps moving; the curfew applies to escorted loads.

  4. Weak and low bridges

    TDOT keeps a list of known weak bridges, and each annual permit comes with a low-bridge list.

    Annual permits:Check every new route against the low-bridge list before the truck leaves.

Tennessee loads

Tennessee permits for the loads Tennessee hauls

TDOT writes annual permits for the farm, housing, lake and port loads that move through the state.

  1. Farm

    Cotton seed modules

    An annual permit of its own, good for 365 days of module moves.

  2. Housing

    Mobile homes

    Annual permits at 14 ft and 16 ft wide, and a 6-day single trip. Mobile homes move in daylight only.

  3. Lakes

    Houseboats and boats

    An annual permit for non-commercial boats. Houseboats run in daylight, and from 16 ft 1 in to 17 ft wide only Tuesday to Thursday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

  4. Ports and building

    Ocean containers and roof trusses

    Both have their own 365-day annual permits, for carriers that haul them all year.

How it works

Your Tennessee permit in three steps

  1. Send the load and route

    Truck, trailer, dimensions, weight, origin and destination. Your fleet details are saved for next time.

  2. We check and file

    Our permit desk checks the Tennessee rules for your load and files with TDOT OS/OW Permit Office.

  3. Get your permit

    You get the permit PDF, a written route and an interactive route map to share with the driver.

From our permit desk

What we check before filing in Tennessee

  1. TNTRIPS only, so we file it

    TDOT takes no permit orders by phone or email. We set up the application in TNTRIPS and send you the permit when it is issued.

  2. Holiday weeks stop escorted loads

    In 2026, escorted loads stay parked from noon November 25 through Sunday November 30. We check your dates against every holiday window before you promise delivery.

  3. Big loads need lead time

    A superload over 250,000 lbs needs 15 days, over 500,000 lbs 30 days, plus a route survey above 15 ft 6 in high or 16 ft wide. Send it to us early.

FAQ

Tennessee oversize permit questions

Can I order a Tennessee oversize permit by phone?

No. The TDOT Permit Office accepts applications only online, through TNTRIPS, and takes no phone or email orders. Send the load to us and we file it in TNTRIPS for you.

How much does a Tennessee oversize permit cost?

It depends on the size, weight and route, and superloads cost more. Put your route into our permit cost calculator for an estimate, or send us the load and our permit desk quotes the exact price before filing.

Can a Tennessee single-trip permit be extended?

No. It is valid for 10 calendar days and cannot be extended; a mobile home single trip runs 6 days. If the move slips past that, a new permit is needed.

At what width does a Tennessee load need a front escort?

From 10 ft 1 in wide on two-lane routes with pavement under 24 ft. From 12 ft 7 in a rear escort is added on interstates and four-lanes, from 13 ft 7 in front and rear apply everywhere, and over 18 ft the Tennessee Highway Patrol escorts the load.

Which Tennessee counties keep escorted loads off the road at rush hour?

Davidson, Rutherford, Knox, Shelby and Hamilton, around Nashville, Murfreesboro, Knoxville, Memphis and Chattanooga. Escorted loads stop there from 7 to 9 a.m. and 4 to 6 p.m., Monday to Friday.

How far ahead should I file a Tennessee superload?

5 days for 165,001 to 250,000 lbs, 15 days up to 500,000 lbs and 30 days above that. Loads over 15 ft 6 in high or 16 ft wide also need a route survey.

How does Route One GO get my Tennessee permit?

Send us the truck, trailer, load dimensions, axle weights and route. Our permit desk checks the Tennessee rules, files with TDOT in TNTRIPS and sends you the permit with a route map. Requests are taken 24/7.

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Send the details once. We file with TDOT OS/OW Permit Office, plus every other state on your route.

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