Pennsylvania

Width

8'6" (8' on other roads)

Height

13'6"

Semi-trailer length

56'

Max length

80'

Overhang — rear

6'

Single axle

20,000 lb.

Tandem axle

34,000 lb.

Tridem axle

45,200 lb.

Max gross weight

80,000 lb.

Phone

717-787-4680

Fax

717-787-9890

Hours

8:00 AM – 4:00 PM Eastern

Website

penndot.gov

Width: for loads exceeding 13' wide, one pilot car is required in front on single-lane roads, or one pilot car behind on highways with two or more lanes (if a police escort is required, the pilot car travels behind the load). Length: a load exceeding 90' long or a rear overhang over 15' requires one pilot car behind the load (which may lead when negotiating sharp turns). Height: a load exceeding 14'6" requires a pilot car with a height pole, 1,000–3,000 feet in front of the load. Overweight loads require a following pilot car across bridges at reduced speed (a leading pilot car as well, if the load is also over width crossing a bridge). In urbanized areas, two pilot cars (one leading, one following) are required during hours of darkness. If a permitted vehicle cannot maintain at least 40 mph on a limited-access highway, travel is limited to 9 AM–4 PM with one pilot car following.

Maximum gross vehicle weight is the lesser of the manufacturer's rated maximum or 80,000 lbs, subject to any additional road/bridge weight restrictions.

Non-IFTA carriers operating in IFTA member jurisdictions must obtain trip permits; a Pennsylvania travel trip permit costs $73 and is valid for five days (excluding any additional agency processing fees). Vehicles over 26,000 lbs, non-apportioned and requiring temporary interstate travel, must obtain a 72-hour trip permit before operating an apportionable vehicle in Pennsylvania — qualifying as apportionable if the power unit has two axles and a GVW/registered weight over 26,000 lbs, three or more axles regardless of weight, or is used in a combination whose GVW exceeds 26,000 lbs.

A general violation not otherwise covered by a specific provision carries a $300 fine. Exceeding the maximum gross weight allowed carries a fine of $75 plus $75 for each 500 lbs (or part thereof) in excess of 3,000 lbs over the maximum registered/allowed weight — doubled if the vehicle exceeds the applicable maximum weight.

Travel is permitted during daylight hours — sunrise to sunset — and Saturday sunrise until noon. No travel is permitted on Sunday, New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, or Christmas Day. Except during those holiday periods, movement in urbanized areas is authorized 7 days a week only during 3–7:30 AM, 9 AM–4 PM, and 7 PM–sunset through the Fort Pitt, Squirrel Hill, or Liberty Tunnels in Allegheny County.

For an urbanized-area move between 3 AM and sunrise, the permitted vehicle and load must be illuminated on all sides, visible from 1,000 feet in all directions, with headlamps and rear lights on while moving. Clean yellow warning signs at least 7 feet wide by 18 inches high, reading "OVERSIZE LOAD" in black letters at least 10 inches high with a 2-inch stroke, must be mounted on the front and rear of the permitted vehicle or load unless the permit specifies otherwise. Clean red or fluorescent orange warning flags at least 18 inches square are required at points of excessive length or width.

Tires must have at least 2/32 inch of tread in two adjacent grooves (4/32 inch on front tires of vehicles with a gross weight over 10,000 lbs). Ice grips or tire studs providing resiliency, with projections up to 2/32 inch beyond the tread, are permitted only between November 1 and April 15 (or as extended by the Governor). Tire chains may be temporarily used during snow and ice emergencies; violations of the studded-tire rule carry escalating fines ($35–$55) by month.

Active — seasonal posted-road segments are confirmed across 13 Pennsylvania counties as of April 8, 2026. Coverage is mixed: it includes both state routes and locally owned roadways recorded by PennDOT's Bureau of Maintenance and Operations, not a complete inventory of every municipal posting; bridges are posted independently of roadways.

Width

14 ft. ($75 additional fee if the load is greater than 14 ft. wide)

Cost — special mobile equipment with overweight axles

$300

Turnaround

1 business day, online

Commodity specific

Yes

Route required

Yes

Cost varies depending on the commodity being hauled.

A motorist can be cited for traveling even one mile per hour over the posted speed limit in an active work zone, and fines and points are doubled in all active work zones. Drive the posted work zone speed limit, stay alert to signs and flaggers, turn on your headlights if instructed, maintain a safe distance, use four-way flashers when stopped or moving slowly, avoid distractions, buckle up, and expect the unexpected.

A mobile home, modular housing unit, or modular housing undercarriage not exceeding 80 feet in body length, 14 feet in width (with limited eave exceptions), and 14'6" in height may be transported subject to specific requirements — including antisway devices on the towing hitch whenever total width exceeds 13 feet (unless the posted speed is below 40 mph, or the unit has at least four tandem axles with brakes on each wheel), a combined weight not exceeding the towing vehicle's registered gross combination weight, and a maximum 6-inch total roof-eave overhang beyond 14 feet (loaded facing the right side of the highway if over 3 inches). Units exceeding these limits may only travel to return to the manufacturer or another department-approved location. Permit fees: $41 (14 feet wide or less), $80 (more than 14 feet wide).