Louisiana Oversize Permit, Wide and Heavy Haul Information

Summary:

• Vehicles that require a permit are prohibited from crossing any bridges that span the Mississippi River in the New Orleans area during rush hours.
• Loads exceeding a width of 12 feet cannot travel during rush hours Monday through Friday in certain areas.
• Travel is not permitted on major holidays or Mardi Gras.

Embarking on wide and heavy hauls in Louisiana demands a keen understanding of the state’s oversize permit requirements. Read on to learn about wide and heavy haul information and the essentials of obtaining a Louisiana oversize permit.

Operating Hours, Restricted Travel, and Holiday Restrictions

Vehicles that require a permit are prohibited from crossing any bridge that spans the Mississippi River in the New Orleans area from the hours of 6:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Additionally, vehicles requiring a permit are also prohibited from being within two miles of a bridge within these hours.

Loads exceeding in width of 12 feet cannot travel Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. on the interstate system in the following areas:

• Shreveport
• Monroe
• Lake Charles
• Baton Rouge
• New Orleans

Vehicles over 14 feet wide are prohibited from traveling on Louisiana’s Interstate highways. There are exceptions for fiberglass swimming pools, boats, tanks, and mobile homes, although special restrictions may apply.

Travel is not permitted on major holidays or Mardi Gras, in certain areas. 

Vehicles requiring a permit can operate from sunrise to sunset seven days a week. However, those that exceed 14 feet in width can only travel until noon on Saturdays. Overweight vehicles that do not exceed 65 feet in overall length can have continuous travel.

Signs, Flags, and Lights Requirements

For the safety of others on the roadways, signs, flags, and lights might be required for the movement of oversize loads or superloads.

Signs

Louisiana does not have any sign requirements for over-length loads, but “Oversize Load” signs must be present on all loads that exceed 10 feet 6 inches in width.

Flags

All four corners of wide loads and any extremities must have a flag in place.

Lights

Louisiana does not have any light requirements for oversized loads or superloads.

Obtaining a Permit

You can order single trip permits for the number of days the permit is needed. There are also vehicle-specific monthly and annual permits available.

To obtain oversized or overweight permits you can call (800) 654-1433 or by visiting the Louisiana state website.

Partnering with a Logistics Company

Navigating the Louisiana oversize permit process for wide and heavy hauls demands attention to detail, compliance with regulations, and strategic planning. To streamline the oversize permit process and ensure a seamless wide and heavy haul experience, consider partnering with a modular logistics company. Connect with our experts if you are interested in more information.

Read more:

• Over-Dimensional and Heavy Haul Permitting 101
• What You Need to Know About State Oversize Permits for Over-Dimensional, Wide, and Heavy Haul Trucking
• State Oversize Permit & Wide Load Regulations: Simplified

Stream Logistics is a transportation logistics company specializing exclusively in High Stakes Freight® , or freight where there is significant risk in moving your product. We help you transport freight when there are projects with timelines and delivery sequences, shipments with high complexity, and shipments with unique constraints.