The permit before the wheels turn
In Texas, vehicles or loads that exceed the legal size and weight limits must obtain an oversize or overweight permit from the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles before traveling on public roadways. Permits are issued through TxPROS, the online permitting and routing system, and a valid USDOT number is required and verified against the FMCSA database to ensure the carrier is not under an out-of-service order. The permit application needs the load description, the truck and trailer details, the overall dimensions, and the gross weight. The permit names the company, the vehicle, and the route, and the permitted vehicle must carry it until the day after it expires.
The weight classes that matter in the oilfield
The general single-trip routed permit covers one movement, from a stated origin to a stated destination, for loads up to 254,300 pounds, and it may be used for loads consisting of drill pipe or drill collars. Loads that exceed 254,300 pounds, or that fall between 200,001 and 254,300 pounds with less than 95 feet of axle spacing, need a super heavy permit. Texas also issues permits specific to the oilfield: oversize and overweight oil well related vehicle permits under the state administrative rules, and mileage permits for unladen lift equipment motor vehicles and well service units, the fixed-load machinery used to drill, service, or clean oil wells.
Escorts, height poles, and the clock
Escort requirements scale with the load. A width over 14 feet takes one escort, front on a two-lane highway or rear on a multi-lane; width over 16 feet takes front and rear. Height over 17 feet takes a front escort equipped with a height pole, and over 18 feet takes front and rear. Length over 110 feet takes one escort, and over 125 feet takes front and rear. Escort flag vehicles carry an OVERSIZE LOAD or WIDE LOAD sign, yellow with black lettering, and flaggers who direct traffic must complete the state's traffic direction training. Movement is daytime only, 30 minutes before sunrise to 30 minutes after sunset, unless the permit authorizes otherwise, and nighttime travel is limited to loads that are overweight only.
OS and OW permitting belongs to the same movement plan as rig move logistics, inspection readiness, and hazmat hauling. If permit numbers, expiry dates, and escort assignments are tracked on sticky notes, an operations audit will show which loads are legal to move and which are one county away from a citation.