Tennessee Pilot Car and Escort Vehicle Company

TENNESSEE PILOT CAR ESCORT SERVICES

Transporting oversized loads requires adherence to regulations, including the maximum width and weight limits, oversized load signage rules, legal operating times, and pilot car requirements. At Nationwide Transport Services, we handle every part of the shipping process to simplify it for our customers. We help with acquiring permits, insurance, and police escorts where necessary. We also provide our customers with complementary services like towing vehicles and cranes for loading and unloading.  We regularly operate along Tennessee highways and will pick up your load from every part of the state. We are a fully licensed and insured company with over a decade of experience operating in Tennessee. Our drivers are well versed with the local routes and terrain.

Pilot cars escort over-dimensional loads to ensure road safety and the integrity of road infrastructure. The Tennessee Department of Transportation regulates the movement of oversized and overweight loads through the issuance of permits. These permits are valid for six days, and loads coming from out of state must acquire one before entering the state. Route surveys are sometimes mandatory for the department to issue a permit. Route surveying involves driving the potential route in a marked pilot car to take note of the height clearances of bridges and underpasses, overhead utilities, railway crossings, and any tight turns.

Tennessee Pilot Car Regulations

Tennessee state shipping regulations require that when in operation, all pilot cars display either one roof-mounted or on both bumpers an "OVERSIZE LOAD" or "WIDE LOAD" sign, whichever is applicable. These signs should be visible from the vehicle's front and rear. They should have a yellow background with 8-inch-high black letters and must measure between 5 and 7 inches long and 12 to 18 inches in height. For warning lights, each escort vehicle must have two horizontally mounted strobe or rotating amber-colored lights with 360-degree visibility from a minimum of 500 feet away. Pilot cars should maintain constant with all vehicles involved in the transport via a 2-way communication device or CB radio.

The legal load sizes in Tennessee are:

  • Length: 53 feet.
  • Width: 8 feet 6 inches
  • Height: 13 feet 6 inches, Truck-Semi Trailer
  • Overhang: 5 feet, both front and rear.
  • Weight: A single Axle weighs 20,000 pounds, and a tandem axle weighs 34,000 pounds. The Maximum Gross Weight is 80,000 pounds.

Nationwide Transport Services strives to provide our customers with trustworthy and affordable pilot car services. Our services are easily accessible, have no hidden charges, and are highly transparent. Call us at (877) 278-3135 for a free quotation.

Why Choose Our Oversize Load Escort Services in Tennessee?

You can trust us with your oversized load, and we will safely deliver it anywhere in Tennessee and other states. We have the expertise and resources. Book now!

  • Lead Escort Services in Tennessee
  • Rear Escort Services in Tennessee
  • Tennessee Flagging Services
  • Chase Car Services in Tennessee
  • High Pole / Height Pole Services in Tennessee
  • Route Survey Services in Tennessee
  • Port Escort (TWIC CARD) Services in Tennessee
  • Bucket Truck Services in Tennessee
  • Super Load Escorting Services in Tennessee

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When Do I Require a Pilot Car or Escort Vehicle for Shipment in Tennessee?

Length:

  • The length is between 75 feet and 85 feet. One pilot car is required and can be replaced with an amber strobe light.
  • The length is between 85′ to 100′; one pilot car is required.
  • The length is over 120 feet. Two pilot cars are required.

Width:

  • One pilot car is required for load widths between 10 and 14 feet on two-lane roads unless the road is 24 feet wide.
  • For load widths over 14 feet on two-lane roads, two escorts are required, one front and one rear.
  • If the width of a four-lane road is between 12 feet 6 inches and 14 feet, one escort vehicle is required.
  • If the width is over 14 feet on four-lane roads, one pilot car and one escort vehicle are required.

Height:

  • For loads exceeding 15 feet, one front escort vehicle with a height pole is required.
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