Pennsylvania OS/OD Overview
Permit Required
Yes – any oversize or overweight load must have a permit from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT).
Legal Limits (Without Permit)
- Width: 8'6"
- Height: 13'6"
- Length: 70' (combo); 53' trailer allowed with conditions
- Weight: 80,000 lbs GVW (with standard axle spacing)
Permitted Load Maximums (Typical Upper Limits)
- Width: Up to 16' with proper escorting
- Height: Over 14'6" requires utility clearance and route survey
- Length: Over 120' requires escort and special route approval
- Weight: Over 201,000 lbs with engineering review and bridge analysis
Superloads must be submitted well in advance and may require multiple PennDOT district reviews and police escorts.
Travel Hours
- Standard: Sunrise to Sunset only
- Weekend: No travel after noon on Saturday or anytime Sunday for most OS/OW loads
- Holidays: No movement on holidays or after 12:00 PM the day before
- Night travel: Typically not permitted, unless specifically authorized under permit for smaller loads
Escort Requirements (General Guidelines)
| Dimension | Escort Requirement |
|---|---|
| Width > 13' | 1 Escort (front or rear depending on road type) |
| Width > 14'6" | 2 Escorts (front and rear) |
| Height > 14'6" | High pole escort required with utility notification |
| Length > 120' | 1 or more Escorts depending on route |
Additional Notes
- “Oversize Load” signs, red/orange flags, and amber lights are mandatory
- Restricted bridges and tunnels throughout the state—verify all routing carefully
- Permits are issued through the PennDOT Automated Permit Routing Analysis System (APRAS)
Detailed Information
PERMITS: Permits valid for five days. Must have permit prior to entering the state.
OPERATING TIME: Sunrise to sunset. Overweight only, not exceeding 107,000 pounds operating at prevailing speeds can have continuous travel.
RESTRICTED TRAVEL: Loads with GVW over 107,000 pounds can run daylight only until noon on Saturdays, and no Sunday travel. Inside urban areas (see map included with provision sheets), except for holidays, movement is allowed seven days a week from 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to sunset, and also 3:00 a.m. – 7:30 a.m. (but 2 pilots and special lighting required). City permit is required for Philadelphia for all routes except Interstates. Permit travel is usually not allowed from noon the day before the six major holidays and holiday weekends until the following weekday.
PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE: A permit must be ordered in advance if width is over 10', length is over 85', height is over 13'6, weight is over 120,000 pounds or any axle weight is over 22,400 pounds. Height over 13'6" is not allowed on the mainline (I-76). Over 11' wide, over 90' long or over 15' rear overhang requires a pilot car. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, O/D loads can travel between dawn to dusk Monday through Thursday, and dawn to noon on Friday. After Labor Day until Memorial Day, they can travel dawn to dusk Monday through Friday and dawn to noon on Saturday. Gross weight of 80,000 – 100,000 pounds is moderately expensive. Over 100,000 pounds is much more expensive. Online (Internet) toll calculator is available at: http://www.paturnpike.com/toll/tollmileage.aspx. PA Turnpike phone number is (717) 939-9551, ext. 2980.
LEGAL DIMENSIONS: Width: 8'6" on designated highways, 8' on other roads Height: 13'6" Length: 53' semitrailer (kingpin to center line of rear axle group must not exceed 41'). If combination is legal without load, no permit is required if load is 70' or less or if overall length is 85' or less and load is non-divisible (no extra length created by multiple end-to-end pieces). No overhang restrictions. This includes beams, utility poles, pipes, building materials, etc. Overhang: Up to 6' rear overhang allowed on a divisible load. No overhang is legal unless it is a non-divisible load as above. Weight: 80,000 Steer Axle – 20,000 Single – 20,000 Tandem – 34,000 Tridem – 42,500
ROUTINE PERMIT LIMITS: Width: 16' Height: 14'6" Length: 120', or 160' on 4-lane highways Weight: Single – 27,000 Tandem – 52,000 Tridem – 63,000 Quad – 72,000 Loads exceeding 201,000 gross weight, width over 16 feet, or 160 feet overall length, are considered superloads.
ESCORTS: Width: Over 13' on all highways – 1 escort, over 16' – police escort Height: Over 14'6" – 1 escort with height pole, and PA requires a route survey to accompany application. Length: Over 90' – 1 escort, over 160' – police escort Overhang: Over 15' – 1 escort Note: If both length exceeds 90' and width exceeds 13', front and rear pilots are required on all two-lane highways. Weight: Over 201,000 – police escort. Other: If permit reduced speeds over bridges – 1 escort. If permit requires load to be only vehicle on a bridge, or to occupy more than one lane of traffic on a bridge – 2 escorts. Philadelphia: Police escort required when over and of the following: 11'5" wide, 14' high, 75' long, 145,000 pounds.
MISCELLANEOUS: Dozers with blades that exceed 12' in width, but no wider than 15', may be hauled if a traffic protector guide rail device is securely fastened to the dozer. A detached bucket or blade cannot be hauled on an overweight load.
SIGNS, FLAGS & LIGHTS: "Oversize Load" signs are required on front of tractor and rear of load or trailer (whichever extends the farthest) on all oversized loads unless otherwise specified in the permit. Signs must be removed or covered when the vehicle/ load is no longer oversize. Flags are required at the widest points of any oversize load. Rear overhang of 4' or more must be flagged, or have a red light attached to the end of the load during darkness. Headlights and rear lamps of a permitted vehicle must be on during movement when traveling with pilot car(s).