Moving oversize and overweight loads through Florida is not a “buy the trailer and go” business. The Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) issues thousands of oversize/overweight (OS/OW) permits every month, and each one carries a specific route, curfew, and escort requirement. Get any of those wrong and the load doesn’t move — or it moves and gets pulled over.
Trip vs. Blanket Permits
FDOT offers two main permit categories. A trip permit covers a single origin-to-destination move within a five-day window. A blanket permit covers recurring moves within a set envelope of dimensions and gross weight, typically valid for 12 months. For contractors with repeatable configurations, blanket permits reduce paperwork substantially. For one-time project cargo, trip permits are the standard.
Dimensions That Trigger Escort Requirements
Escort rules in Florida are dimension-driven. Broadly: loads wider than 12 feet require at least one escort; loads wider than 14 feet require front and rear escorts; loads exceeding certain length or height thresholds require escorts with height poles. On specific corridors — I-4, I-75 through Tampa Bay, US-1 through the Keys — escort requirements can be stricter regardless of dimension.
Curfew Windows
Florida enforces movement curfews on OS/OW loads for good reason: rush-hour traffic in Miami, Tampa, Orlando, and Jacksonville doesn’t tolerate wide loads. Typical curfews restrict daytime movement in urban areas Monday through Friday, plus full-day restrictions around major holidays.
Route Surveys and Bridge Analysis
For loads approaching Superload thresholds, a physical route survey is often required. The survey verifies bridge clearances, turn radii, and utility clearances. Florida also uses a bridge analysis process for loads exceeding standard GVW and axle configuration, which can take from a few business days to several weeks. Start Superload permits at least three weeks out.
Interstate Coordination
Loads originating in Georgia or Alabama that terminate in Florida need coordinated permits from each state. Routing has to match at the border, and curfews and escort rules differ across the state line. A single agent managing the full corridor prevents the mismatch problems that create real delays.
Bottom Line
Heavy haul in Florida is a permit business as much as an equipment business. Go-Freight’s heavy haul group handles the full lift — permits, routing, escorts, and equipment — for oversize and overweight moves across the state.