When do you need pilot cars and escorts?

Pilot cars (escort vehicles) warn traffic and watch for hazards around an oversize load. Whether you need one — and how many — depends on the load's width, height, and length, and it varies a great deal by jurisdiction and even by road type.

The common triggers:

• Width — most states require a front or rear escort once a load passes roughly 12 ft wide, a second escort around 14–16 ft, and law-enforcement escorts at the widest sizes. The exact threshold is set by each state and often by road type (two-lane vs divided).
• Height — a height-pole car (a lead vehicle carrying a pole set just above the load) is commonly required over about 14 ft 6 in to run ahead and check overhead clearances.
• Length — long loads often need a rear escort past roughly 90–120 ft.
• Police escorts — assigned for the widest, heaviest, or most complex moves, usually as a permit condition rather than a fixed number.

Because the numbers differ everywhere, check your exact state in the Permit & Escort Checker, and find certified escorts in the Pilot Car & Escort directory.

Escort rules are safety-critical and change. Confirm the requirement for your load and route with the issuing DOT before every move.