Oregon

Oregon Oversize Permits & Escorts Information

Do you need oversize load permits in the state of Oregon? Find out the maximum width and weight allowed on Oregon highways, the legal operating times, the oversize load signage rules, and when Oregon requires pilot cars. The following data is for informational purposes only. We are not a permit service, do not arrange permits for carriers, and do not answer permit and escort requirement questions.

Oversize Load Limits

Maximum load sizes before a permit is required:

• Length: 53′
• Width: 8’6″
• Height: 14′
• Weight: 80,000 lbs gross
• Overhang: 4′ in the front; 5′ off the rear

Permits

Oregon oversize permits are valid for ten days. Must have permit prior to entering the state. For more information, visit the Oregon Department of Transportation.

Legal Operating Times

• One-half hour before sunrise to one-half hour after sunset, seven days a week from Labor Day to Memorial Day. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, Saturday travel until noon and none on Sunday, except for loads not exceeding 14′ in width may travel during weekend daytime hours only on Interstate highways west of the summit of the Cascade Mountains and on any authorized highway east of the summit of the Cascade Mountains.
• Night travel allowed on “green” routes for loads up to 10′ wide and on Interstate highways for loads and up to 12′ wide.
• Travel prohibited for loads over 12′ wide in Portland, Salem, Eugene, Grants Pass and Medford urban areas; on non-Interstate highways; on I-5 in Portland from Washington state line to junction of OR-217; and in Medford on I-5 between exits 24 and 33 from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and from 3:00 p.m.to 6:00 p.m.
• No travel on major holidays (New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, from noon on Wednesday before Thanksgiving Day to one-half hour before sunrise on the following Monday, and from 12:01 p.m. on Christmas Eve until one-half hour before sunrise on the first business day following Christmas).

Pilot Cars & Escort Vehicles

Escort vehicle or pilot car required for heavy-haul or oversize loads if:

• Length: Over 120′ long requires one and over 140′ requires number on the permit on Interstate highways and many two-lanes highways close to Portland. Over 105′ requires one, over 120′ requires two, and over 140′ is on case-by-case basis on “green” routes. Over 95′ requires one, over 120′ requires two, and over 140′ is on a case-by-case basis on most other two-lane routes.
• Width: Over 14′ wide requires one and over 16′ requires number on the permit on Interstate highways and many two-lanes highways close to Portland. Over 12′ requires one, over 14′ requires two, and over 16′ requires number on the permit on “green” routes. Over 9′ requires one on most other two-lane routes.
• Height: Over 14’6” high requires one on all routes.
• Weight: Undefined.
• Overhang: Undefined.

Pilot Car and Escort Vehicle Requirements

Pilot cars and escort vehicles may be passenger cars, pickups, or truck tractors of legal size and weight. A yellow “OVERSIZE LOAD” sign at least 5’ long by 10″ tall with black letters at least 8″ high and 1″ thick must be mounted on top of the vehicle. Two amber flashing or strobe lights (with a lens at least 4″ in diameter and a 35 candlepower rating with around 30 rotations per minute) or a revolving light (with at least 125 square inches of dome surface and at least 30 rotations per minute) must be mounted above the vehicle’s roof and have 360-degree visibility from at least 500′. Pilot cars and escort vehicles must be equipped with CB or two-way radio, two handheld red flags at least 18″ square mounted on staffs at least 3′, eight safety flares, and at least two reflective triangles. Drivers do not need to be certified to operate a pilot car or escort vehicle but must have a flagger’s license if they intend to control traffic.

Oversize Load Sign Requirements

“OVERSIZE LOAD” signs are required on the front of the tractor and the rear of the load or trailer for all wide loads and loads over 80′ long. The sign must be reflective for night travel. Flags must be placed on the outermost extremities of all wide loads. For wide load night travel, the outermost extremities must be illuminated by amber forward and intermediate side lamps or marker lights and red lamps or marker lights in the rear. If the rear overhang exceeds 4′, it must be marked with a flag during daylight or with red lights when dark or when visibility is less than 500′. If the width exceeds 10′ on a two-lane highway or 12′ on a multi-lane highway, amber warning lights are required on the cab, unless at least two pilot cars are in operation.

The data on this page is for informational purposes only, and we do not guarantee its accuracy.