Texas Oversize Permits

As a compliance partner with more than 20 years serving carriers, we know that oversize or overweight (OS or OW) permitting in Texas is equal parts regulation, planning, and paperwork discipline. 

What counts as oversize/overweight in Texas

Texas follows federal baselines with state-specific nuances. In general, vehicles operating without an oversize or overweight permit must remain within standard legal limits; otherwise, a Texas oversize permit is required before movement. Key dimensions and weights typically include:

• Width around 8 ft 6 in (102 in)
• Height around 14 ft
• Gross vehicle weight up to 80,000 lb (subject to axle/group limits and road posting)
• Length as prescribed for configuration (tractor-semi, combinations, and specialized equipment)

The moment your load exceeds any single threshold (overall dimensions or axle and group weights) you trigger OS or OW permitting and, depending on extremity (e.g., very high or superheavy), additional routing, escorts, and equipment requirements.

Before we advise a client to pursue a permit, we run a quick pre-check of dimensions from drawings or BOLs and compare axle spacings to anticipated weights. Catching a 2–3 inch overage early prevents last-minute permit edits and resubmissions.

Permit types in Texas

• Single-Trip Oversize or Overweight Permit: authorizes one movement from point A to B along a designated route during a defined validity period.
• Superheavy Permit: for extremely heavy/large loads that require specialized engineering review, tighter routing controls, and more restrictive travel conditions.
• Manufactured Housing Single-Trip and Portable Building Permits: specialized categories with unique dimension rules, signage, and routing expectations.
• Annual or Blanket options (where applicable): designed for recurring movements within certain limits and corridors; eligibility and constraints apply.

We encourage carriers to verify whether an Annual option truly fits their recurring lane. A single recurring dimension slightly above an annual cap will force exceptions.

How to apply in TxPROS

TxPROS (Texas Permitting and Routing Optimization System) is the official portal to request Texas oversize permits. A clean application reduces revisions and keeps you on schedule.

Pre-application checklist:

1. USDOT/MC status and insurance active and up to date.
2. Accurate dimensions (Length × Width × Height), axle spacings, and per-axle weights.
3. Origin/destination and realistic preferred route or corridor.
4. Bond/Formality, if applicable (e.g., overweight bond; see next section).
5. Contact details for rapid clarifications.

TxPROS workflow:

• Create or log into your TxPROS account.
• Use the wizard to input vehicle, load, axle or spacing and routing details.
• TxPROS proposes an authorized route considering load-restricted bridges, low clearances, and posted roads.
• Submit, pay fees, and download the permit once issued.

Before we open the wizard, we confirm in our internal checklist that USDOT and insurance are current. A stale item here leads to avoidable delays. From our Houston office, we also coordinate any last-minute route tweaks when a client’s preferred plant gate or yard access changes on the day of movement.

Costs, validity, and processing timelines

Fees vary by permit type, mileage or county components, and whether the move is superheavy or requires extra review. Single-Trip OS or OW permits are typically short-term authorizations (often a few days), while specialized or superheavy movements may involve additional engineering time and cost.

For standard Single-Trip authorizations, well-prepared applications often turn around quickly; resubmissions and route conflicts are the number-one reason for delay. We keep calendar reminders for clients so permits do not expire mid-staging, and we align delivery windows with daylight travel rules to avoid layovers.

We recommend you to lock your crane and rigging windows only after you have permit issuance in hand. It prevents standby charges if a route must be re-engineered due to a newly posted bridge or construction detour.

Movement rules

Texas commonly restricts oversize movements to daylight hours (for many loads: from 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset), with additional restrictions for certain widths or heights, weekends, and holidays. Weather and visibility are practical gatekeepers: even when legally permitted, unsafe conditions can pause movement.

Operationally, we build a “movement calendar” per job that accounts for:

• Daylight windows on specific dates and lat/long.
• Anticipated holiday blackouts and local event restrictions.
• Contingency buffers for weather holds.

This is where our 20 years of trucking support pays back: a one-hour misalignment between plant load-out and daylight cutoff can push delivery a full day. We prefer to pre-clear timing with shippers and receivers and keep dispatchers looped in on rolling ETAs.

Route planning without surprises

Beyond the permit itself, success hinges on selecting a permitted route that avoids load-zoned roads, posted bridges, and low vertical clearances. TxPROS generates compliant routing, but field reality changes, temporary closures, work zones, or detours appear with little notice.

Our practice is to:

• Compare TxPROS output with the latest project notices and local DOT advisories.
• Map critical pinch points (tight turns, urban bottlenecks) and confirm crane/staging space at origin/destination.
• Keep a secondary routing scenario ready in case a structure is newly posted on the day of travel.

Ongoing compliance and FMCSA audits

Permits move the load; paperwork keeps your authority alive. If a carrier lets compliance lapse (permits, taxes, or required filings) the consequences include fines and FMCSA audits. New carriers are especially exposed: lapsed paperwork can trigger a failed new entrant audit.

Our role is to protect your operation while you focus on running the business. We ensure all permits stay current and necessary tax reports are filed on time. We also maintain drivers’ records and HOS logs, track vehicle and escort-vehicle inspections, and organize documentation for audit-readiness. In our experience, weekly internal reviews catch most issues before they grow into citations.

FAQs