How to read a Tennessee oversize permit

A Tennessee single trip permit PDF holds two documents: the 2-page permit (truck, sizes, a one-row Routes box and the conditions), then, after some flyers, a 4-page 'Travel Route Information and Restriction Report' with the turn-by-turn table and a map. Drive from the TRAVEL ROUTE INFORMATION table in that report, where the DISTANCE(mi) on each row is how far you go after that step.

How to read the route

The table starts on page 6 and runs onto page 7, and both pages are printed sideways, so turn the page or your phone. Read top to bottom. Each row is one step: do what DIRECTION says, then drive the DISTANCE(mi) on that row before the next step. ENTRY NO. 1 is the start and 2 is the finish, matching pins 1 and 2 on the map; the arrow icons in that column show the turn (straight, left, right, keep left or right). Names in parentheses are other names for the same road, like (TN-5 N) or (SYCAMORE ST).

Columns, left to right: ENTRY NO. · DIRECTION · DISTANCE(mi).

What's on each page

Page 1: Permit page 1 of 2: permit number and dates, permittee, vehicle, maximum permitted sizes, load, a one-row Routes table (From/Origin, To/Destination, Via Route, Total Miles), fees, Non Standard Conditions and the first Standard Conditions.
Page 2: Permit page 2 of 2: the rest of the Standard Conditions (carry the permit, local roads, weather, let traffic pass, measure clearances) and who issued it.
Page 3: Truckers Against Trafficking card, front.
Page 4: Truckers Against Trafficking card, back.
Page 5: 'Call Before You Haul' flyer about getting boats inspected for invasive mussels.
Page 6: Travel Route Information and Restriction Report, page 1 of 4, printed sideways: load sizes and the start of the TRAVEL ROUTE INFORMATION table.
Page 7: Report page 2 of 4, sideways: the rest of the route table, the FINISH row and the total miles.
Page 8: Report page 3 of 4: a map of the route with pin 1 (start), pin 2 (finish) and colored dots for restrictions and closures.
Page 9: Report page 4 of 4: only the header, no restrictions listed.

Road names on Tennessee permits

On the permit	Means
US-45 N	U.S. Route 45, northbound
TN-5 N	Tennessee State Route 5 northbound, which runs on the same road as US-45 here
US-64-BR	U.S. Route 64 Business
US-70 E (SYCAMORE ST)	U.S. Route 70 eastbound, which is Sycamore St in town
I-40 W (US-412 W)	Interstate 40 westbound, which also carries US-412 here
TN-20 W	Tennessee State Route 20, westbound
I-155	Interstate 155

Where the route starts and ends

State line ends are written as state code, comma, road and direction: 'MS,US-45 N' means start where northbound US-45 comes in from Mississippi, and 'MO,I-155 W' means finish where westbound I-155 crosses into Missouri. The route table writes them as 'START AT ...' and 'FINISH AT ..., ON THE RIGHT'. A start inside the state can be just a road: our other permit starts at 'I-40 W' with no town or mile marker and finishes at 'AR,I-40 W', the Arkansas line.

Conditions to watch for

Travel time

This permit allows travel 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in normal travel conditions.

“24 hours, 7 days a week continuous movement with normal travel conditions authorized.”

Night lights

From half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise, a projecting load needs a red side marker lamp on each side, and 2 red lamps and 2 red reflectors on the rear.

“On the rear of the projecting load, 2 red lamps and 2 red reflectors visible from the rear”

Signs and flags

Mark the load with signs and flags the way TDOT's rules say.

“Movement to be marked with signs and flagged in accordance with rules and regulations adopted by this department”

Let traffic pass

If you are over width and traffic backs up behind you, pull off and let it pass. If you do not, officers can void the permit.

“when traffic begins to accumulate behind the movement, pull off the road and allow traffic to pass”

Weather

Travel times can be limited in bad weather or weather emergencies.

“Permits may be subject to restrictions on time of movement during inclement weather”

Clearances

You must measure bridge and overhead clearances, side to side and up and down, before you pass under or through them.

“it is the positive duty of the permittee to measure all clearances of highway structures”

City and county roads

The permit covers state highways only and is void once you leave Tennessee. City streets and county roads may need their own permit.

“A county or city permit may be required in addition to this permit for travel on county roads or city streets”

Easy to miss

The turns are not on the permit pages. Pages 1 and 2 only have a one-row Routes box that lists road names. The turn-by-turn table is in the report after the flyers, on PDF pages 6 and 7, which are numbered 'Page 1 of 4' and 'Page 2 of 4'.
The total line says 'TOTAL DISTANCE ON FREEWAYS', but it is the whole trip, US highways and city streets included. It matches Total Miles on page 1.
DISTANCE(mi) is the miles after that step, not a running total. The START and FINISH rows show 0.00.
On a permit that starts mid-state, the start can be written only as a road, like 'I-40 W'. Use pin 1 on the map page to see where it begins.

Questions

Where are the turn-by-turn directions on a Tennessee oversize permit?

In the Travel Route Information and Restriction Report attached after the permit, under TRAVEL ROUTE INFORMATION. The permit's own Routes box only lists the roads.

Can oversize loads run at night in Tennessee?

Both of our Tennessee permits carry condition 27, which allows 24-hour, 7-day movement in normal travel conditions. At night, condition 35 requires red side marker lamps and rear red lamps and reflectors on a projecting load.

Can I show my Tennessee permit on my phone?

Yes. The permit says an electronic permit is acceptable so long as the bar code is scannable.

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.