The final week of December is always exciting. It’s the time of year for looking ahead, planning for the future, setting goals and reflecting on the past. Families gather to celebrate the holidays, gifts are exchanged and laughs are shared. You’d be hard-pressed to find a more jovial time of year, that’s for sure.
Conversely, in the oversized/overweight (OSOW) shipping world, December 24-January 2 is a period of disruption. The final week, or so, of the year presents the perfect opportunity for people — across the U.S. — to push back from their desks, submit a paid time off request and hit the road toward gatherings with family and friends.
With so many people on the roads, and fewer working, each U.S. state sets limitations for times during which permitted OSOW freight can legally travel within its borders.
These holiday travel restrictions are important to plan around if you’re hoping to ship OSOW freight at the tail end of this year. Without compensating for their presence, you may face significant delays as you’re forced to make alternative arrangements unexpectedly.
Here at Anderson Trucking Service (ATS), our teams move OSOW freight to all parts of the U.S. year-round. In doing so, we’ve seen the disarray holiday travel restrictions can leave underprepared shippers in, and constantly work to help our customers avoid this. Knowing exactly what’s going on in every state is the first step in this process.
The last thing you want is to leave a customer waiting due to a lapse in planning. To make sure you understand which OSOW travel restrictions each state enacts, below you’ll find a chart depicting 2022 Christmas oversized freight travel restrictions by state.
In the left column, we’ve also listed the dates over which each state’s permitting office will be closed for these holidays.
2022 Christmas Oversized Freight Travel Restrictions
| State | OSOW Travel Restrictions |
|
Alabama Office closed: 12/26 |
No OSOW permitted travel is allowed from sunset on 12/23 (Friday) until sunrise on 12/27 (Tuesday). View Alabama’s holiday restrictions calendar. |
|
Arizona Office closed: 12/26 |
No OSOW permitted travel is allowed starting at 12 p.m. on 12/23 (Friday) until 30 minutes prior to sunrise on 12/27 (Tuesday). Read Arizona’s OSOW holiday legal guidelines. |
|
Arkansas Office closed: 12/23 & 12/26 |
No OSOW freight can move on 12/25. Check out Arkansas’ permit rules. |
|
California Office closed: 12/26 |
Permitted freight traveling on a state holiday that must be accompanied by a pilot car is prohibited to travel from 4 p.m. 12/23 (Friday) to 12 a.m. on 12/24 (Saturday), from 12 p.m. on 12/24 (Saturday) to 12 a.m. on 12/25 (Sunday), from 12 p.m. on 12/25 (Sunday) to 12 a.m. on 12/26 (Monday), from 12 p.m. on 12/26 (Monday) to 12 a.m. on 12/27 (Tuesday). All other freight is allowed to move unrestricted. Here is California’s full holiday travel information. |
|
Colorado Office closed: 12/26 |
There are no OSOW freight travel restrictions in Colorado, with the exception of these specific routes between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on 12/25 (Sunday):
|
|
Connecticut Office closed: 12/26 |
No OSOW travel is allowed from 12 p.m. on 12/23 (Friday) until sunrise on 12/27 (Tuesday). Visit Connecticut OSOW permitting website. |
|
Delaware Office closed: 12/26 |
No OSOW freight moves are allowed from 12 p.m. on 12/24 (Saturday) until 9 a.m. on 12/26 (Monday). Visit Delaware’s holiday travel restrictions webpage. |
|
Florida Office closed: 12/26 |
No OSOW freight exceeding 80 feet long, 14 feet, 6 inches high and/or 10 feet wide can move on 12/25 (Sunday) or 12/26 (Monday). View all Florida holiday travel restrictions. |
|
Georgia Office closed: 12/23 & 12/26 |
No OSOW freight is allowed to move on 12/25 (Sunday). Check out Georgia’s holiday restriction/closure dates. |
|
Idaho Office closed: 12/26 |
OSOW loads may be transported on Idaho highways with the following restrictions: Red-Coded Routes: No loads may travel starting at 2 p.m. on 12/23 (Friday) until sunrise on 12/27 (Tuesday). Black-Coded and Interstate Routes: Shipments exceeding 10 feet wide, 100 feet long and/or 15 feet high can’t move from 4 p.m. on 12/24 (Saturday) until sunrise on 12/26 (Monday). |
|
Illinois Office closed: 12/26 |
No OSOW shipments are allowed to travel beginning at 12 p.m. on 12/24 (Saturday) and ending at sunrise on 12/26 (Monday). Visit Illinois’ OSOW permitting rules. |
|
Indiana Office closed: 12/23 & 12/26 |
No OSOW shipments (with the exemption of commodities) can travel starting at 12 p.m. on 12/23 (Friday) until 30 minutes before sunrise on 12/26 (Monday). Visit Indiana’s OSOW permitting provisions document. |
|
Iowa Office closed: 12/26 |
There are no OSOW holiday travel restrictions in Iowa over this period. Check out Iowa’s general provisions for oversize load permits. |
|
Kansas Office closed: 12/26 |
There are no OSOW holiday travel restrictions in Kansas over this period. Visit Kansas’ motor carrier website. |
|
Kentucky Office closed: 12/26 |
There are no OSOW holiday travel restrictions in Kentucky over this period. View Kentucky’s OSOW resources. |
|
Louisiana Office closed: 12/23 & 12/26 |
There are no statewide OSOW holiday travel restrictions in Louisiana over this period. View Louisiana’s permitting webpage. |
|
Massachusetts Office closed: 12/26 |
No OSOW shipments can travel starting at 12 p.m. on 12/24 (Saturday) and 12 p.m. on 12/26 (Monday). Visit Massachusetts’ OSOW permits page. |
|
Maryland Office closed: 12/26 |
No OSOW loads can move from 12 p.m. on 12/23 (Friday) until 9 a.m. on 12/27 (Tuesday). Check out all of Maryland’s holiday restrictions. |
|
Maine Office closed: 12/26 |
No OSOW load can travel on 12/25 (Sunday). Check out all of Maine’s oversized freight holiday travel restrictions. |
|
Michigan Office closed: 12/23 & 12/26 |
No permitted OSOW freight is allowed to travel starting at 12 p.m. on 12/23 (Friday) until sunrise on 12/26 (Monday). View all of Michigan’s holiday travel restrictions and closings. |
|
Minnesota Office closed: 12/26 |
OSOW travel is restricted starting at 2 p.m. on 12/24 (Saturday) until 2:00 a.m. on 12/26 (Monday). Visit Minnesota’s holiday travel restrictions webpage. |
|
Mississippi Office closed: 12/26 |
No movement is allowed starting at 12 p.m. on 12/23 (Friday) until sunrise on 12/26 (Monday). Read through Mississippi’s permitting information. |
|
Missouri Office closed: 12/26 |
No OSOW freight is allowed on Missouri holidays from 12 p.m. on 12/24 (Saturday) until 30 minutes before sunrise on 12/26 (Monday) |
|
Montana Office closed: 12/26 |
OSOW travel is restricted starting on 12/24 (Saturday) until 12/27 (Tuesday). Montana’s permits page can be found here. |
|
Nebraska Office closed: 12/26 |
No OSOW freight can travel through Nebraska starting at sunset on 12/23 (Friday) until sunrise on 12/26 (Monday). View all of Nebraska’s observed holidays and their restrictions. |
|
Nevada Office closed: 12/26 |
No OSOW freight travel is allowed from 12 p.m. on 12/23 (Friday) until 12 a.m. on 12/24 (Saturday), from 12 p.m. on 12/25 (Sunday) until 12 a.m. on 12/26 (Monday) and from 12 p.m. on 12/26 Monday until 12 a.m. 12/27 (Tuesday). View all of Nevada’s holiday travel restrictions. |
|
New Hampshire Office closed: 12/26 |
No OSOW freight can travel on 12/26 (Monday). View all of New Hampshire’s OSOW holiday travel restrictions. |
|
New Jersey Office closed: 12/26 |
No OSOW permits will be issued/valid for travel on 12/25 (Sunday) and 12/26 (Monday). Visit New Jersey’s permitting webpage. |
|
New Mexico Office closed: 12/26 |
No OSOW movement is allowed on 12/25 (Sunday). Check out New Mexico’s OSOW rules and regulations. |
|
New York Office closed: 12/26 |
No OSOW shipment can travel through New York starting at 12 p.m. on 12/23 (Friday) until 30 minutes before sunrise on 12/26 (Monday). View New York’s OSOW permitting resources. |
|
North Carolina Office closed: 12/23, 12/26 & 12/27 |
No over-dimensional and/or overweight freight exceeding 112,000 gross pounds will be permitted to travel beginning at 12 p.m. on 12/23 (Friday) until 12 p.m. on 12/26 (Monday). Visit North Carolina’s OSOW permitting page. |
|
North Dakota Office closed: 12/26 |
No oversized loads exceeding 16 feet wide are allowed to move starting at 12 p.m. on 12/24 (Saturday) until 30 minutes prior to sunrise on 12/26 (Monday). Check out North Dakota’s OSOW permit pages. |
|
Ohio Office closed: 12/26 |
No OSOW freight can move starting at 12 p.m. on 12/22 (Thursday) until sunrise on 12/26 (Monday). Here is Ohio’s holiday restrictions webpage. |
|
Oklahoma Office closed: 12/26 & 12/27 |
OSOW freight travel is restricted on 12/25 (Sunday). View Oklahoma’s permitting law. |
|
Oregon Office closed: 12/26 |
OSOW freight is not allowed to travel starting at 12 p.m. on 12/23 (Friday) until 30 minutes before sunrise on 12/27 (Tuesday) with some exceptions:
|
|
Pennsylvania Office closed: 12/23 & 12/26 |
OSOW freight is restricted from moving starting at 12 p.m. on 12/23 until sunrise on 12/27 (Tuesday). View Pennsylvania’s holiday OSOW travel restrictions. |
|
Rhode Island Office closed: 12/26 |
No OSOW cargo can travel within Rhode Island on 12/24 (Saturday) or 12/25 (Sunday). Visit Rhode Island’s OSOW website page. |
|
South Carolina Office closed: 12/23, 12/26 & 12/27 |
No OSOW freight can travel through South Carolina on 12/25 (Sunday). View South Carolina’s holiday travel schedule. |
|
South Dakota Office closed: 12/26 |
There are no OSOW Holiday travel restrictions in South Dakota for this period. Learn more about OSOW shipping in South Dakota |
|
Tennessee Office closed: 12/23 & 12/26 |
No OSOW freight requiring escorts is allowed to travel starting on 12/23 (Friday) until 12/27 (Tuesday). All other OSOW freight can transit as normal. View Tennesee’s 2022-23 holiday restrictions calendar. |
|
Texas Office closed: 12/26 |
Any OSOW load exceeding 14 feet wide, 16 feet tall and/or 110 feet long cannot travel on 12/25 (Sunday). View Texas’ holiday restrictions. |
|
Utah Office closed: 12/26 |
No OSOW exceeding 10 feet wide, 14 feet, 6 inches tall and/or 105 feet long can travel starting at 2 p.m. on 12/23 (Friday) until sunrise on 12/27 (Tuesday). Visit Utah’s permitting page. |
|
Vermont Office closed: 12/26 |
No shipment exceeding 108,000 pounds, 12 feet wide and/or 100 feet long can move on Vermont interstate highways on 12/25 (Sunday). View Vermont’s full permit rules. |
|
Virginia Office closed: 12/23 & 12/26 |
No permitted travel starting at 12 p.m. on 12/23 (Friday) until sunrise on 12/26 (Monday). Check out Virginia’s hauling permit manual. |
|
Washington Office closed: 12/26 |
OSOW loads aren’t permitted to travel on state highways starting at 12 p.m. on 12/24 (Saturday) until sunrise on 12/26 (Monday). View Washington’s state commercial vehicle guidelines. |
|
West Virginia Office closed: 12/26 |
No OSOW travel is allowed starting at sunset 12/24 (Saturday) until sunrise on 12/26 (Monday). Check out West Virginia’s holiday travel restrictions. |
|
Wisconsin Office closed: 12/23 |
For freight exceeding 13 feet, 6 inches tall, 150 feet long and/or 12 feet wide, no travel is permitted starting at 12 p.m. on 12/23 (Friday) until sunrise on 12/26 (Monday). No OSOW freight can travel through Columbia, Dane, Milwaukee, Rock or Waukesha counties from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the days of 12/23 (Friday), 12/24 (Saturday) and 12/25 (Sunday). Wisconsin’s holiday travel restrictions chart can be found here. |
|
Wyoming Office closed: 12/26 |
Any OSOW load requiring escorts is prohibited from traveling starting 30 minutes after sunset on 12/23 (Friday) until 30 minutes prior to sunrise on 12/27 (Tuesday). Visit Wyoming’s permit resources webpage. |
Make Sure You’re Prepared for New Year’s Day!
As you’re planning your cargo’s route near the tail end of the year, keep these dates in mind. It’s always important to understand each state’s rules and regulations for permitted freight moves. That said, around Christmas, this is even more vital. So, work with a trusted transportation provider that understands these details intimately.
And, should you have any questions, don’t hesitate to reach out to us here at ATS.
Your next step is to study the office closures and OSOW restrictions that will be present around New Year’s Day. You’ll also have to navigate a similar mix of regulations over 12/30-1/1. Keep your supply chain moving efficiently by ensuring your transportation concept is as sound as possible.
