Escorts

When escorts are needed & number of escorts required

On all state highway systems:

• Width over 12′ requires 1 escort (Rear)*
• Width over 20′ requires 1 escort plus police escort
• Length over 100′ requires 1 escort (Front)
• Height over 16′ require a Front escort with a height pole as well as a pre-route survey

Notes:

• *On interstate or 4-lane divided highway, an alternative light bar attachment may be allowed in lieu of an escort.

State police escort

All loads at or exceeding 20’ in width require Nebraska State Patrol escort. Nebraska State Patrol escorts can be required for any overdimensional load as deemed necessary for NDOT for the safety of travel.

Super loads

Loads greater than 16’ wide, 15’11″ high, 125’ long and 160,000 lbs are considered super loads and require clerk review.

Escort vehicle requirements can differ significantly by state in terms of mandatory driver qualifications, training, certifications, vehicle weights, obligatory signage/flags/lighting, necessary onboard equipment, and more. The ODS team can provide you with all additional requirements specific to your route.

Operating Times

Travel is permitted seven days a week from a half hour before sunrise until a half hour after sunset. Permits for Overweight Only, are valid 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Permit restrictions

Spring Weight: Nebraska does not post spring restrictions as such but does have certain highways restricted to no overweight permits issued during a certain period of time when the frost is coming out of the ground.

Travel embargos for Lincoln and Omaha as follows:

• Lincoln: state highways only inside city limits but does not include I-80. Restricted from weekdays 7AMto 9AM and 4PM to 6PM, Saturday and Sunday after 12PM.
• Omaha: restricted from travel inside city limits on state highways and interstates weekdays 7AMto 9AM and 4PM to 6PM, Saturday and Sunday after 12PM.

Holidays

Travel restrictions apply on New Year’s Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day. Restrictions can range from noon of the day preceding the holiday until sunrise the following day, or longer if the aforementioned days are split by a weekend.

Adverse weather

Permit travel is prohibited if any of these exist:

• Winds cause a hazard to movement
• Visibility <0.5 mile
• Rain, sleet, or snow
• Highway surfaces slipper due to ice, snow, packed snow, slush, or frost
• Printed On 5/3/2021 NE Page 6 of 10
• Debris on the highway from an accident, natural disaster, or emergency

Wet pavement, light drizzle, or wind less than 25 mph is not considered inclement weather for purposes of permit movement.

If adverse weather or road conditions are encountered during operation, the permitted vehicle must proceed to the next available safe place off the roadway and park until conditions improve. Operation may be further restricted or prohibited by Nebraska State Patrol officers, local law enforcement, or Nebraska DOT personnel should it be judged that conditions make continued operation unsafe.