Operating Hours, Restricted Travel, and Holiday Restrictions
Loads that do not exceed 12 feet wide, 13 feet and 6 inches high, and 100 feet long may run 24/7, except between 4:00 pm and 11:00 pm on Sunday and 4:00 pm and 11:00 pm between the fourth Sunday in May and Labor Day. In addition, vehicles that are overweight but do not exceed other maximums may run 24/7, including weekends and holidays.
Vehicles exceeding 12 feet in width, 13 feet and 6 inches in height, and 100 feet in length may not run during hours of darkness or from noon Saturday until sunrise on Monday. These loads are also not permitted to run between 4:00 pm and 11:00 pm between the fourth Sunday in May and Labor Day.
Travel is restricted on major holidays and holiday weekends, with some exceptions according to size.
Spring thaw overweight restrictions usually go into effect on “Class 2 roads” from early March until mid-May. However, the start date often differs from year to year. Furthermore, U.S. highways and interstates are not normally restricted.
Signs, Flags, and Lights Requirements
Signs, signals, flags, and lights are often required when moving oversize or over-dimensional loads for the safety of other motorists on the road.
Signs
Oversize loads must display an “OVERSIZE LOAD” sign on both the front and rear of the vehicle when it exceeds 10 feet wide or is over length.
Dimensions of the sign may not be less than 7 feet long and 18 inches high. The sign’s letters may not be less than 10 inches high, with a brushstroke of no less than 1.4 inches. Signs must be lit up at night for the vehicle to run.
Flags
Solid red or orange safety flags must be 18 inches square and are required at the front and rear corners of overwidth loads and the widest point of any load that is greater than 4 inches wider than the vehicle or front or rear corners of the load.
When overlength, a single flag must be fastened at the extreme rear of the load if the overlength portion is 2 feet wide or less, and two flags must be fastened if the overlength is more than 2 feet wide.
Lights
All required lighting must be turned on whenever a vehicle is traveling during hours of darkness and must be visible at a distance of at least 500 feet.
Oversize vehicles must be equipped with a red lamp at the outermost extremity and be visible from the rear and side. In addition, any portion of an overwidth load must be marked with an amber light that is visible from the front, rear, and both sides.
The overwidth portion of the vehicle that is 3 feet or less must be marked with an amber lamp that is visible from the front, rear, and both sides. However, if that overwidth projection is at or near the rear of the vehicle, it must be marked with a red light visible from the front, rear, and both sides.
Overlength vehicles or oversize loads that extend more than 4 feet beyond the rear of the vehicle must have a red light on each side of the projecting load that is visible from the side and located to indicate the maximum overhang. It must also have two red lights on the rear of the load visible from the rear, one at each side, and two red reflectors visible from the rear, one at each side, and located to indicate maximum width.
Obtaining a permit
You can apply online for Wisconsin single and multiple trip permits, or Oversize/Overweight permits. For oversize loads, you can also email oversize-permits.dmv@dot.wi.gov, call (608) 266-7320, or fax (608) 264-7751.
You can also send permit applications via mail to the following address:
Oversize-Overweight Permits
Wisconsin Department of Transportation
Bureau of Highway Maintenance
P.O. Box 7980
Madison WI 53707-7980
