North Carolina OS/OD Overview
Permit Required
Yes – any load exceeding legal size or weight must have a permit from the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT), Oversize/Overweight Permit Unit.
Legal Limits (Without Permit)
- Width: 8'6"
- Height: 13'6"
- Length: 60' (straight truck); 75' (combo); 53' trailer allowed
- Weight: 80,000 lbs GVW (with legal axle spacing)
Permitted Load Maximums (Typical Upper Limits)
- Width: Up to 16' with proper escorting
- Height: Over 15' requires route survey and utility notification
- Length: Over 110' with review and escort
- Weight: Over 150,000 lbs with engineering approval and bridge review
Superloads require pre-approval, detailed axle spacing, and may involve coordination with law enforcement and utility companies.
Travel Hours
- Standard: Sunrise to Sunset (½ hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset)
- Weekend: No travel after 12:00 PM Saturday or any time Sunday
- Holidays: No travel on major holidays or after noon the prior business day
- Night travel: Allowed for loads under 10' wide with proper lighting and approval
Escort Requirements (General Guidelines)
| Dimension | Escort Requirement |
|---|---|
| Width > 12' | 1 Escort (rear on 4-lane, front on 2-lane roads) |
| Width > 14' | 2 Escorts (front and rear) |
| Height > 15' | High pole escort and utility clearance |
| Length > 110' | 1 or more escorts depending on route and configuration |
Additional Notes
- Oversize Load signs, red/orange flags, and amber beacon lights are required
- Mountain routes and narrow bridges require careful routing and may be restricted
- Permits are issued via the NCDOT Oversize/Overweight Permit System (E-Permits)
Detailed Information
PERMITS: Permits valid for ten days. Must have permit prior to entering the state.
OPERATING TIME: Sunrise to sunset, Monday through Saturday, no Sunday travel. Overweight only, not exceeding 112,000 pound gross (or 94,500 for sealed ship container) and travelling only on Interstate routes may travel 24/7, but it must be requested with the permit order.
RESTRICTED TRAVEL: Loads over 10 feet wide are restricted within a 10 mile radius of the following cities: Charlotte, Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill from 7:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Loads over 14’ height are subject to speed and escort restrictions in I-40 tunnels near Tennessee line. (See Escort Section, below). No travel on major holidays or holiday weekends. Double check with permit office for holiday restrictions.
LEGAL DIMENSIONS: Width: 8'6” Height: 13'6 Length: 53'0 trailer* on designated highways, 48' trailer on all other roads. No overall designated legal length on all highways for 48' trailer. For 53' trailer, no overall designated length on Interstates or federally designated highways, 60' overall on non-designated. In NC, only Interstates and a few sections of 4-lane US Highways are considered federally designated highways. On other routes, including most US Highways, the legal overall length is 60 feet. *(53' semi- trailer must not exceed 41' center of kingpin to center of rear tandem). Overhang: Front – 5', Rear – 5' Weight: 80,000 Gross Single – 20,000 Tandem – 38,000 Tridem – depends on spacings.
ROUTINE PERMIT LIMITS: Width: 15' Length: 105', beams and girders maximum 120'. Height: No set limits – determined by route. Loads over 14' may take extra processing time. Weight: 5 axles – 112,000 6 axles – 120,000 7 axles – 132,000 Steer Axle – 20,000* Single – 25,000 Tandem – 50,000 Tridem – 60,000 Quad – 68,000 Weight over 132,000 or widths over 15' are superloads. Letter from shipper must be included with a superload application.
ESCORTS: Width: Over 12' – 1 escort; over 14' – 2 escorts on all highways; over 15' wide may require police escorts Height: Over 14'5" – 1 escort with high pole. Note for I-40 tunnels near TN line: Eastbound and over 13'11" – 1 escort with height pole; Westbound and over 14'2" – 1 escort with height pole. Length: Over 110' – 1 escort; over 150' – 2 escorts. Overhang: Over 15' front or rear – 1 escort Weight: Over 149,999 pounds – 1 escort. Width over 14’ and 110’ long requite state police.
MISCELLANEOUS: Blades and buckets which cannot be angled to not exceed 14 feet in width must be removed. A blade or bucket, if it is part of the original equipment being hauled, may be detached and hauled with the equipment without being considered a divisible load. Beams, poles, pipes, structural material don't need permit up to 85 feet long, daylight only, on Interstates and designated roads. Multiple pieces rule: NC does not allow or permit for multiple pieces on an overlength vehicle/load (over 60’ overall length) on “non-designated” highways. If you are hauling two farm tractors end-to-end and your overall length is 70 feet, we can not get a NC permit except for Interstate and “designated” US routes (mainly 4-lane US highways). If your route is on other highways (including most US Highways), NC will not give us a permit unless we claim that it is for a single piece.
SIGNS, FLAGS & LIGHTS: "Oversize Load" signs are required at front and rear for all loads exceeding 10 feet wide. Flags are required on each corner and at the widest point of the load for all loads over 8'6" wide, but the flags "…shall be so mounted as to not increase the overall width of the load." Rear overhang in excess of 4 feet requires a flag, or at night a red or amber light visible for at least 200 feet.