---
title: Tennessee Oversize & Overweight Permits (OS/OW) | TDOT Superload | Alpine Truck Service
description: Expedited Tennessee TDOT oversize permits, Nashville/Memphis curfews, Mississippi River bridge routing, and THP escorts across I-40 and I-75. Call (918) 607-6547.
image: https://www.alpinetruckservice.com/alpine-third-party-charges.webp
---

# Tennessee Oversize, Overweight & Superload Permitting Services

Comprehensive commercial trucking permits and heavy haul compliance across Tennessee.

## Agency & Permitting Authority
- **Agency**: Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) / TDOR
- **Portal**: TDOT Central Permit Office System
- **Regulatory Advisory**: State DOT regulations and permit processing queues are determined by individual state transportation authorities and vary by agency workload. Carriers should verify active route advisories and state requirements prior to movement.

## Legal vs. Routine Permitted Dimensions
- **Legal Width**: 8' 6" | **Max Routine**: 16' 0"
- **Legal Height**: 13' 6" | **Max Routine**: 15' 0"
- **Legal Length**: 53' Semi-Trailer / 65' Overall | **Max Routine**: 120' 0"
- **Legal Gross Weight**: 80,000 lbs | **Max Routine**: 165,000 lbs
- **Axle Limits**: Single: 20,000 lbs, Tandem: 34,000 lbs, Tridem: 42,000 lbs

## Permitting Scope & Services in Tennessee
- **Routine Oversize (OS) Cab-Cards**: Single-trip authorizations for dimensions exceeding 8' 6" width or 13' 6" height.
- **Overweight (OW) Axle Permits**: Overload cab-cards for heavy machinery and configurations exceeding 80,000 lbs GVW.
- **Multi-Axle Superload Permits**: Specialized filings exceeding Over 165,000, including State DOT and certified partner bridge reviews, route surveys, and police escorts.
- **Annual & Blanket Fleet Permits**: Continuous-operation annual highway authorizations for construction fleets.
- **Temporary Trip & Fuel Permits**: 72-hour IRP vehicle registration and IFTA fuel tax credentials.
- **County, City & Toll Road Clearances**: Municipal authorizations and turnpike clearances.

## Superload Permitting & State Review Protocol
- **Weight Trigger**: Over 165,000 lbs GVW or exceeding TDOT structural bridge capacity ratings
- **Width Trigger**: Over 16' 0" wide
- **Height Trigger**: Over 15' 0" high
- **Length Trigger**: Over 120' 0" overall length
- **State & Partner Bridge Review**: Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) / TDOR electronic systems and certified structural engineering partners evaluate axle load distribution across bridge structures upon submission.
- **Route Surveys & Clearances**: Required for extreme heights/widths to verify overhead physical clearances.
- **Utility & Escorts**: Coordinated wire lifts with power utilities and State Police / Highway Patrol escorts.

## Pilot Cars & Escort Vehicle Requirements
- **Front Escort**: Required over 12' 0" wide on two-lane roads; over 14' 0" wide on multi-lane highways
- **Rear Escort**: Required over 14' 0" wide on multi-lane highways; length exceeding 90' 0"; rear overhang > 15' 0"
- **Height Pole**: Required for loads exceeding 15' 0" in height (lead vehicle with calibrated pole)
- **Police Escort**: Tennessee Highway Patrol (THP) escort required over 16' 0" wide, 16' 0" high, or gross weight over 165,000 lbs

## Metro Curfews & Travel Restrictions
- **Curfew Zones**:
  - Nashville Metro / Davidson County (I-40, I-65, I-24, I-440, Briley Pkwy): 7:00–9:00 AM & 4:00–6:00 PM M-F (loads >10' wide)
  - Memphis Metro / Shelby County (I-40, I-55, I-240, Mississippi River bridges): 7:00–9:00 AM & 4:00–6:00 PM M-F
  - Knoxville Metro (I-40, I-75, I-640) & Chattanooga (I-24, I-75): 7:00–9:00 AM & 4:00–6:00 PM M-F
- **Travel Rules**: Daylight only (sunrise to sunset) Monday through Friday. Saturday travel allowed until 12:00 noon for loads under 12' wide. No Sunday travel. Continuous movement allowed for routine overweight-only loads with proper lighting.

## Key Freight Corridors
- I-40 (Transcontinental Logistics Spine / Memphis to Knoxville)
- I-75 (Midwest to Atlanta Freight Corridor)
- I-65 (Louisville to Nashville/Birmingham)
- I-24 (Nashville to Chattanooga)
- I-81 (Shenandoah Valley Spine)
- I-55 (Memphis Delta Corridor)

## Frequently Asked Questions
### How long does TDOT take to process a Tennessee oversize permit?
Routine single-trip permits are typically processed in 2–4 business hours. Superloads requiring bridge structural reviews take 3–5 business days. Alpine prepares filings immediately upon intake.

### What are Nashville and Memphis rush hour curfew hours?
Oversize vehicles exceeding 10' wide cannot travel on Nashville or Memphis metropolitan interstates between 7:00–9:00 AM and 4:00–6:00 PM on weekdays.

### What are Tennessee pilot car escort triggers?
Tennessee requires 1 escort for loads over 12' wide on 2-lane roads and over 14' wide on multi-lane highways. Loads over 90' long require an escort. Height over 15' requires a height pole.

### What qualifies as a superload in Tennessee?
Shipments exceeding 165,000 lbs gross weight, 16' wide, 15' high, or 120' long are superloads, requiring TDOT bridge analysis and Tennessee Highway Patrol escorts.

## Contact & Direct Dispatch
- **Direct Phone**: (918) 607-6547 (CALL: [918-607-6547](tel:9186076547))
- **Email**: [permits@alpinetruck.com](mailto:permits@alpinetruck.com)
- **Online Intake**: [alpinetruckservice.com/permits/tennessee](https://www.alpinetruckservice.com/permits/tennessee)