Heavy haul truck hauling an oversized load in Mississippi

Quickway Transports

Mississippi Overweight & Oversize Permits for Heavy Haul

Name: Quickway Transports
Address: 1271 West Main St, Riverhead, NY, 11901, US
Telephone: +1 (631) 898-4248

Mississippi permit rules, legal limits and escort triggers, and how we book heavy haul carriers for moves in and through the state.

Quick answer

Do I need an overweight or oversize permit in Mississippi?

Yes, above 80,000 lbs gross, 20,000 lbs on a single axle or 34,000 lbs on a tandem, or once the load is over 8 ft 6 in wide or 13 ft 6 in high. MDOT charges $10 for a single trip oversize permit, and overweight loads pay 5 cents for every 1,000 lbs over legal per mile in Mississippi, with a $10 minimum.

Updated November 2026 by the Quickway Transports broker team (FMCSA MC# 1245224).

Heavy Haul | MS

Heavy haul and oversize freight in Mississippi

Mississippi's heavy freight runs on I-55 from Memphis through Jackson toward New Orleans, I-20 across the middle from Alabama through Jackson to Vicksburg, I-10 along the Gulf Coast, and I-22 and US 78 in the north. Timber and forestry equipment, shipyard and port cargo at Gulfport and Pascagoula, and manufacturing plants keep heavy loads moving. We book carriers for moves within Mississippi or across it.

Two things shape a Mississippi move: the road's weight rating and the clock. Only designated highways carry 80,000 lbs, so heavy loads are routed with care, and oversize loads move in daylight with holiday stops from noon the day before. Loads over 12 ft wide also avoid the Jackson, Southaven and Gulf Coast rush hours.

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What are the legal size and weight limits in Mississippi?

Under the oversize load regulations in Mississippi, a load above any of these limits needs a state oversize or overweight permit.

Width	8 ft 6 in
Height	13 ft 6 in
Semitrailer length	53 ft
Gross weight	80,000 lbs
Single axle	20,000 lbs
Tandem axle	34,000 lbs

Limits are set by Miss. Code Ann. 63-5-13 to 63-5-33. The 80,000 lb gross applies on highways designated for maximum loads; on other state highways the table tops out at 57,650 lbs, so the route decides the legal weight.

Who issues Mississippi oversize permits?

MDOT's Permit & Motor Carrier Division in Jackson issues permits through ExpressPass, which routes each load around low-weight roads and low bridges. Applicants need a USDOT number and at least $500,000 in liability insurance on file naming MDOT, and permitted loads never cross a posted bridge.

MDOT permits cover state highways and Interstates, and county and city roads need local approval. Superloads, which here start above 17 ft wide, 121 ft long, 15 ft 7 in high or 189,999 lbs, need a route survey and a traffic control plan.

Permit system: MDOT ExpressPass (online permitting and routing, ProMiles platform)

What do Mississippi oversize and overweight permits cost?

request_quote Single trip oversize: $10 per trip.
request_quote Overweight: 5 cents for each 1,000 lbs over legal per mile traveled in Mississippi, with a $10 minimum.
request_quote Oversize blanket, up to 14 ft wide, 14 ft high and 120 ft long: $100 a year per company.
request_quote Special heavy equipment blanket up to 150,000 lbs: $4,500 a year per pulling unit.
request_quote 72-hour trip permit for trucks without IRP plates: $25. Superload police escorts are billed by the escorting agency.

Worked example: a 120,000 lb load over 150 miles

The load is 40,000 lbs over the 80,000 lb gross, or 40 units of 1,000 lbs. At 5 cents per unit per mile, 150 miles costs 40 x $0.05 x 150 = $300, and a load that is also oversize adds the $10 size fee.

Mississippi pilot car and escort requirements

local_police Daylight, 13 ft wide or more: on a two-lane road the escort leads the load, on a divided highway it follows, and the load carries flashing amber lights at the back.
local_police At night, where the permit allows it: the same escorts from 10 ft wide.
local_police Over 99 ft long, or 15 ft or more of front or rear overhang: front and/or rear escorts.
local_police 18 ft wide and over: a police escort may be required, depending on route and load.
local_police Superloads: a height pole escort from 15 ft 7 in, and two law enforcement escorts from 160 ft long, 15 ft 9 in high or 300,000 lbs.
local_police Mississippi sets no escort driver certification, but moving without a required escort can bring a 30-day suspension from the permit system.

What hours can oversize loads move in Mississippi?

calendar_today Oversize loads move in daylight, and for loads over 12 ft wide the window is shorter, opening half an hour after sunrise and closing half an hour before sunset.
calendar_today MDOT may allow night moves for loads within 12 ft wide, 99 ft long and 150,000 lbs, if rear overhang stays at 4 ft or less.
calendar_today Holidays: no movement after noon the day before Christmas, New Year's Day, Thanksgiving, Memorial Day, Labor Day or the Fourth of July, or on the holiday itself.
calendar_today Loads over 12 ft wide avoid the Jackson, Memphis/Southaven and Gulf Coast urban areas from 7 to 8:30 AM and 4:30 to 5:30 PM on weekdays.
calendar_today No overwidth movement in visibility under 500 ft or hazardous weather, and Sunday travel follows what the permit allows.

Seasonal weight limits in Mississippi

Mississippi has no frost law or seasonal load restrictions. MDOT can still lower the weight limit on any road or bridge when it has reason to, counties and cities can lower limits on their roads, and permitted loads never cross a posted bridge. A $25 yearly harvest permit lets farm, timber and aggregate loads run up to 88,000 lbs off the Interstate.

FAQ

Mississippi Oversize Load Questions

Permits, escorts and travel rules for oversize moves in Mississippi.

How much is a Mississippi overweight permit?

The fee is 5 cents per mile in Mississippi for each 1,000 lbs above legal weight, and never less than $10. Legal weight here means 80,000 lbs gross, 20,000 lbs on a single axle or 34,000 lbs on a tandem. Heavy equipment carriers can instead buy a $4,500 annual blanket covering loads up to 150,000 lbs.

How much is a Mississippi oversize permit?

A single trip oversize permit costs $10 per trip, and an oversize blanket for loads up to 14 ft wide, 14 ft high and 120 ft long costs $100 a year per company. Trucks without IRP plates also need a $25 72-hour trip permit before they move.

Can oversize loads travel at night in Mississippi?

Only when the permit says so. MDOT can grant it to loads no bigger than 12 ft wide, 99 ft long and 150,000 lbs whose rear overhang is 4 ft or shorter. Night moves need an escort from 10 ft wide. Sealed containers up to 95,000 lbs and heavy equipment blanket loads within their limits can move around the clock.

What is a superload in Mississippi?

MDOT's 2026 manual defines it as anything over 17 ft wide, 121 ft long or 15 ft 7 in high, or 189,999 lbs and up. A superload application needs a route survey covering signs, signals, power lines and rail crossings, plus a traffic control plan, and law enforcement escorts are required at the largest sizes.

Why does legal weight depend on the route in Mississippi?

Mississippi allows 80,000 lbs only on highways the Transportation Commission designates for maximum loads. On other state highways the gross limit tops out at 57,650 lbs, so ExpressPass routing keeps heavy loads on designated highways, and permitted loads may never cross a posted bridge.

Sources

We last checked the figures above against these official sources in October 2026. Before each move, the carrier's permit service confirms the rules in force that day.

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