02 / MEASUREMENTS
Measure the truck with the load on it.
Cargo height is only part of loaded height.
Measure height from the road to the highest point, width across the widest extremities, and length from the foremost to rearmost point of the truck or load. Gross weight includes the truck, trailer and cargo. A cargo drawing alone does not describe the permitted combination.
Use the baseline that fits the combination.
TxDMV lists 8′6″ width for non-passenger vehicles and loads, and 14′ height. Length depends on the vehicle configuration. The published 80,000 lb gross maximum still depends on axles, spacing and the permissible-weight table; it does not make every 80,000 lb combination legal.
03 / FEES
Separate the permit fee from the rest of the move.
Overweight changes the state fee.
The general single-trip product combines a permit fee with a highway maintenance charge above the published gross-weight threshold. Product eligibility, axle limits and the approved route still matter. Payment-method charges and other services are separate; the calculator's source link below leads to the maintained agency-fee schedule.
Larger moves need earlier preparation.
TxDMV requires a route inspection certification before issuance when width exceeds 20′, height exceeds 18′11″ or length exceeds 125′. Superheavy eligibility also depends on gross weight, axle/group weights and spacing. A fee estimate is not confirmation that the load can use a particular road.
Calculator fee reference: TxDMV General Single-Trip — Fees & Payment Information
04 / ESCORTS
Pilot cars depend on more than width.
Road class changes the escort's position.
For most permit types, width over 14′ through 16′ needs one escort: front on a two-lane highway, rear on a multi-lane highway. Above 16′, front and rear escorts apply. The intermediate length band above 110′ through 125′ also changes placement by road class.
Check height and combined triggers.
Above 17′ loaded height, the front escort needs a height pole. Above 18′, front and rear escorts apply, with the pole in front. Multiple dimension triggers can require both front and rear escorts. TxDMV may also specify law enforcement; manufactured housing and portable buildings use different provisions.
05 / TRAVEL
Check the travel date before committing pickup.
Office closures and movement restrictions differ.
A permit-office holiday is not automatically a ban on every permitted move. TxDMV publishes a separate restricted-movement calendar for loads over 14′ wide, 16′ high or 110′ long, with additional manufactured-housing rules. Check the linked current dates and the time window written on the permit.
BEFORE DISPATCH
Match the paperwork to the move.
- Confirm the actual loaded dimensions, gross weight and axle arrangement.
- Have the carrier's USDOT number and exact pickup/delivery ready for the application.
- Identify the required permit product, any route inspection and the movement date before dispatch.
The issued permit controls the authorized vehicle, load, route and travel conditions. Check current closures and the pickup and delivery approaches. A planning estimate does not approve clearance or replace the permit.
SOURCE RECORD
Go straight to the authority.
ODPermit prepared this guide with AI-assisted review of the official sources below on . This is a dated planning reference, not agency approval or an independently certified legal review. Source dates and the roads, product and load covered by each rule matter.
- TxDMV size and weight limits
Measurement definitions; legal size and weight limits; axle and tire conditions
Official page checked September 7, 2026 - TxDMV general single-trip permits
Eligibility, route inspection, application and fees
Official page checked September 7, 2026 - TxDMV escort and equipment requirements
General dimension table and multiple-dimension rule
Official page checked September 7, 2026 - TxDMV holiday hours and movement restrictions
Restricted movement dates, permit-office closures and manufactured housing exceptions
Live 2026–2027 holiday notice checked September 7, 2026