Single Vehicle
Texas Transportation Code 621.203
- A motor vehicle, other than a truck-tractor, may not be longer than 45 feet.
- A single motor vehicle used exclusively to transport seed cotton modules, cotton, cotton burrs, or equipment used to transport or process cotton, including a burr spreader, may not be operated on a highway or road if the vehicle is longer than 48 feet.
Semi-Trailer & Trailers
Texas Transportation Code 621.204.
- A semitrailer that is operated in a truck-tractor and semitrailer combination may not be longer than 59 feet, excluding the length of the towing device.
- A semitrailer or trailer that is operated in a truck-tractor, semitrailer, and trailer combination may not be longer than 28- 1/2 feet, excluding the length of the towing device.
Vehicle Combinations
Texas Transportation Code 621.205.
- A combination of not more than three vehicles, may be coupled together if the combination of vehicles, other than a truck-tractor combination, is not longer than 65 feet.
- A passenger car or another motor vehicle that has an unloaded weight of less than 2,500 pounds may not be coupled with more than one other vehicle or towing device at one time.
- A house trailer or towable recreational vehicle and motor vehicle combination may not be longer than 65 feet.
Length Law Exceptions
Texas Transportation Code 622.902
The length limitations do not apply to:
- machinery used exclusively for drilling water wells, including machinery that is itself a unit or that is a unit mounted on a conventional vehicle or chassis;
- a vehicle owned or operated by a public, private, or volunteer fire department;
- a vehicle or combination of vehicles operated exclusively in the territory of a municipality or to a combination of vehicles operated by a municipality in a suburb adjoining the municipality in which the municipality has been using the equipment or similar equipment in connection with an established service to the suburb;
- a truck-tractor, truck-tractor combination, or truck-trailer combination exclusively transporting machinery, materials, and equipment used in the construction, operation, and maintenance of facilities, including pipelines, that are used for the discovery, production, and processing of natural gas or petroleum;
- a drive-away saddlemount vehicle transporter combination or a drive-away saddlemount with fullmount vehicle transporter combination, if:
- the overall length of the combination is not longer than 97 feet; and
- the combination does not have more than three saddlemounted vehicles if the combination does not include more than one fullmount vehicle;
- the combination of a tow truck and another vehicle or vehicle combination if:
- the other vehicle or combination cannot be normally or safely driven or was abandoned on a highway; and
- the tow truck is towing the other vehicle or vehicle combination directly to the nearest authorized place of repair, terminal, or destination of unloading; or
- a vehicle or combination of vehicles used to transport a combine that is used in farm custom harvesting operations on a farm if the overall length of the vehicle or combination is not longer than:
- 75 feet if the vehicle is traveling on a highway that is part of the national system of interstate and defense highways or the federal aid primary highway system; or
- 81 – 1/2 feet if the vehicle is not traveling on a highway that is part of the national system of interstate and defense highways or the federal aid primary highway system.
- A truck-tractor operated in combination with a semitrailer and trailer or semitrailer and semitrailer if:
- The combination is used to transport a harvest machine that is used in farm custom harvesting operations on a farm;
- The overall length of the combination excluding the length of the truck-tractor, is not longer than 81 – 1/2 feet; and
- The combination is traveling on a highway that:
- is not part of the national system of interstate and defense highways or the federal aid primary highway system; and
- is located in a county with a population of less than 300,000.
Special Loads
Timber Products
Texas Transportation Code 622.041
A vehicle or combination of vehicles that is used exclusively for transporting poles, piling, or unrefined timber from the point of origin of the timber (the forest where the timber is felled) to a wood processing mill if:
- the vehicle, or combination of vehicles, is not longer than 90 feet, including the load; and
- the distance from the point of origin to the destination or delivery point does not exceed 125 miles.
- The overhang limitation does not apply to a truck-tractor or truck-tractor combination transporting poles, piling, or unrefined timber.
Special Requirements
Texas Transportation Code 622.042
A vehicle subject to this subchapter may be operated only during daytime. A red flag or cloth not less than 12 inches square or a strobe light must be displayed at the rear of the load carried on the vehicle so that the light or the entire area of the flag or cloth is visible to the driver of a vehicle approaching from the rear.
Electric Transmission Poles
Texas Transportation Code 622.051
A person may operate over a highway or road of this state a vehicle or combination of vehicles that is used exclusively for transporting poles required for the maintenance of electric power transmission and distribution lines if:
- the vehicle, or combination of vehicles, is not longer than 75 feet, including the load; and
- the operator of the vehicle, or combination of vehicles, pays to the department $120 each calendar year.
- The overhang limitation does not apply to vehicle(s) transporting poles for the maintenance of electric power transmission or distribution lines.
Speed & Lighting Requirements
Texas Transportation Code 622.052
- A vehicle to which this applies may be operated only: between sunrise and sunset as defined by law; and at a speed not to exceed 50 miles per hour.
- A vehicle to which this subchapter applies shall display on the extreme end of the load: two red lamps visible at a distance of at least 500 feet from the rear; and
- two red reflectors that indicate the maximum width and two red lamps, one on each side, that indicate the maximum overhang. This does not apply to a vehicle being operated to prevent interruption or impairment of electric service or to restore electric service that has been interrupted.
Poles or Pipes
Texas Transportation Code 622.061
- A person may operate a vehicle or combination of vehicles exclusively for the transportation of poles or pipe if the vehicle or combination of vehicles is not longer than 65 feet, including the load,
- The limitation in Subsection (a) does not apply to a truck-tractor or truck-tractor combination transporting poles or pipe.
Time of Operation and Lighting Requirements
Texas Transportation Code 622.062
A vehicle to which this applies may be operated only during daytime and shall display on the extreme end of the load: two red lamps visible at a distance of at least 500 feet from the rear; two red reflectors that indicate the maximum width; and two red lamps, one on each side, that indicate the maximum overhangChile Pepper Modules and Cotton Vehicles
Texas Transportation Code 622.101
- A single vehicle used exclusively to transport chile pepper modules, seed cotton, cotton, cotton burrs, or equipment used to transport or process chile pepper modules or cotton, including a motor vehicle or burr spreader, may not be operated on a highway or road if the vehicle is longer than 48 feet.
- A motor vehicle that transports agricultural products under this section must be registered under Section 504.505 – Cotton Vehicle plate.
Portable Buildings
Texas Transportation Code 623.121
- The department may issue a permit to a person to operate equipment to move over a state highway one or more portable building units that in combination with the towing vehicle are in excess of the length or width limitations provided by law but less than 80 feet in length.
- The length limitation in this section does not apply to a truck-tractor or truck-tractor combination towing or carrying the portable building units