Idaho pilot car regulations
Certification: not required. Idaho's pilot/escort rules (IDAPA 39.03.05, 2022 text) set no escort driver certification; the driver needs a valid driver's license. The trucking company supplies the pilot cars.
From Idaho's own rules and pages, checked 2026-10-24. Rules change: the state's page is the last word.
- Escort vehicle
- A passenger car or truck (or a vehicle ITD approves) of no more than 16,000 lb. Nothing towing a trailer. A pickup must not be loaded so it looks like the oversize load.Source
- Sign
- Roof-top sign reading OVERSIZE LOAD, 12 inches high by 5 feet wide, 8-inch black letters with 1-inch stroke on yellow. Shown only while actually escorting an oversize load (illegal otherwise).
- Lights
- Flashing or rotating amber lights at each end of the sign above the roofline, visible front, rear and sides; or one rotating/flashing amber beacon above the roofline visible from 500 feet. On at all times while escorting, with headlights and taillights on.
- Height pole
- Front pilot car leading any load over 16 feet high must run a non-metallic, non-conductive, non-destructive height pole with a flexible tip.
- Other equipment
- 18-inch STOP/SLOW paddle; three reflective triangles; 5 lb B:C fire extinguisher; orange or yellow ANSI Class 2 or 3 vest/shirt/jacket (Class 3 at night) worn when out of the vehicle; two spare OVERSIZE LOAD signs; valid driver's license; FCC-licensed two-way radio reaching 1/2 mile (truck too); hardhat; working flashlight; first aid kit.