How to read an Arkansas oversize permit
An Arkansas single trip permit puts the whole route in one paragraph on page 1, after 'Routes Traveled:', with the travel restrictions right below it. Read it left to right: each highway comes with its direction, and the note in parentheses tells you where you switch onto it.
Issued by the Arkansas Department of Transportation. Written from a real permit we read.
How to read the route
'Origin' and 'Destination' name only the states you come from and go to. The route is the paragraph after 'Routes Traveled:'. Read it left to right; commas separate the roads. Each road has a direction (WB = westbound, SB = southbound), and the note in parentheses says where you switch onto it, like 'US-167 SWB(EXIT 10, SALINE CO)'. It begins with 'START ON' and ends with 'END ON', and gives no miles between turns.
What's on each page
- Page 1: Permit dates and ID, contact and carrier, fees, overall dimensions, truck and trailer, axle weights and spacing, then ROUTE (Origin, Destination, Routes Traveled) and TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS.
- Page 2: One paragraph of general terms: bridges and clearances are not guaranteed, daylight only, no holidays, and no travel in poor visibility or bad weather.
Road names on Arkansas permits
| On the permit | Means |
|---|---|
| I-40 WB | Interstate 40, westbound |
| AR-38 SB | Arkansas Highway 38, southbound |
| US-70 WB | U.S. Highway 70, westbound |
| I-440 SWB | Interstate 440, southwest-bound |
| US-167 SWB | U.S. Highway 167, southwest-bound |
| AR-283 NWB | Arkansas Highway 283, northwest-bound |
| I-30 WB | Interstate 30, westbound |
| MP CRITTENDEN 284.69 | Milepost 284.69 in Crittenden County, here at the Tennessee line |
Where the route starts and ends
Origin and Destination are just state names (TENNESSEE, TEXAS). The exact ends are inside the route paragraph. The start is 'START ON' a highway and direction at a milepost, written with the county name and then the border in parentheses: 'START ON I-40 WB AT MP CRITTENDEN 284.69(52)(STATE BORDER OF TENNESSEE)'. The end is written the same way after 'END ON': here I-30 at the US-71 intersection, milepost 0.00 in Miller County, at the Texas border.
Conditions to watch for
Little Rock curfew
No oversize moves through the Little Rock area from 7 to 9 AM or 4 to 6 PM on I-30 (mile markers 138 to 143), I-40 (mile markers 151 to 155) and all of I-630.
“no oversize movement through the Metropolitan Little Rock area from 7 AM to 9 AM or 4 PM to 6 PM”
Minimum speed
Keep at least 40 mph unless a different speed is posted or written on the permit.
“Must maintain a minimum speed of 40 mph unless otherwise posted or specified on permit.”
Travel time
Sunrise to sunset only. No moving around the clock.
“only authorized to move between sunrise & sunset”
Weigh stations
Stop at every open weigh station and show the permit.
“All permitted loads are required to stop at open weigh station locations and report to the station with the permit.”
Holidays and weather
No moves on holidays unless authorized, and none in poor visibility or bad weather.
“not valid for movement during periods of significantly reduced vision and/or inclement weather”
Bridges and clearance
The permit does not promise that bridges can carry you or that you will clear overhead. Damage is on the permit holder.
“Issuance of this permit is not assurance that bridges and structures are capable of carrying the vehicle and load”
Easy to miss
- Origin and Destination only name states. The roads are in the 'Routes Traveled' paragraph under them.
- The note in parentheses after a road is where you switch onto it, by town and nearby intersection or exit: 'US-270 WB(IN SHERIDAN AT NORTHERLY INTERSECTION US-270)'.
- There are no miles between turns. The only numbers are the mileposts at the two state lines (284.69 at Tennessee, 0.00 at Texas) and one exit number.
- The paragraph is all capitals and wraps in the middle of a road note ('US-70 WB(IN' then 'WEST MEMPHIS...'). Read it as one sentence split by commas.
Questions
What is the Little Rock oversize curfew?
Our permit says no oversize movement through the Metropolitan Little Rock area from 7 to 9 AM or 4 to 6 PM on I-30 between mile markers 138 and 143, on I-40 between mile markers 151 and 155, and on all of I-630.
What is the minimum speed for an oversize load in Arkansas?
Our permit says you must keep at least 40 mph unless otherwise posted or specified on the permit.
How do I read 'Routes Traveled' on an Arkansas permit?
Read it left to right as a list of highways split by commas. Each has a direction (WB, SB) and, in parentheses, the town and intersection or exit where you switch onto it. It starts with START ON and the entry milepost and ends with END ON at the exit state line.
Your permit is the legal document; follow everything it says. Permits change, and yours may differ from the ones we read.Last checked October 2026.