Manitoba Pilot Cars / Escort Vechicle Requirements

When escort vehicles are required: 

Width

Exceeding (metres)					When	Highway	Conditions
2.60					Day	All	Orange or red flags are required.
					Night	All	Amber and red lights are required.
					Winnipeg Rush Hour	Winnipeg	Rush Hour travel restrictions apply.
	3.05				Always	All	“D” or “WIDE LOAD” sign is required.
		3.70			Always	Brandon	Brandon Police will determine pilot/escort requirements.
					Always	All	Amber beacon on cab of towing vehicle is required.
					Day	Provincial Undivided	Front pilot vehicle is required, if load overhangs centre line.
					Night	Provincial Undivided	Front and rear pilot vehicles required.
					Night	Provincial Divided	Rear pilot vehicle is required.
					Summer Holiday Season	Provincial Holiday Restricted Routes	Holiday travel restrictions apply.
					Public Holidays	Provincial Holiday Restricted Routes	Holiday travel restrictions apply.
			4.60		Day	Provincial Undivided	Front and rear pilot vehicles are required.
					Day	Provincial Divided	Rear pilot vehicle is required.
					Commuter Hours	Commuter Routes	No travel allowed.
					Night	All	No travel allowed.
					Always	Winnipeg	Police escort may be required.
				6.10	Day	Provincial	Front and rear pilot vehicles are required.
					Always	All	Permit must be carried in the vehicle.

Length

Exceeding (metres)			When	Highway	Conditions
Legal Length			Winnipeg Rush Hour	Winnipeg	Rush hour travel restrictions apply.
27.5			Summer Holiday Season	Provincial Holiday Restricted Routes	Holiday travel restrictions apply.
			Public Holidays	Provincial Holiday Restricted Routes	Holiday travel restrictions apply.
	31.0		Always	All	“D” or “Long Load” at the front and rear. LCVs are exempt from this requirement.
			Always	Provincial Undivided	Rear pilot vehicle is required. LCVs are exempt from this requirement.
			Always	Winnipeg Brandon	Police escort may be required. LCVs are exempt from this requirement
			Always Winnipeg Rush Hour	Provincial Undivided Winnipeg	No left turns at uncontrolled intersections in high speed zones. Rush hour travel restrictions apply.
		41.0	Day	Provincial Divided	Rear pilot vehicle is required.
			Day	Provincial	No left turns at uncontrolled intersections in high speed zones.
			Day	Provincial Undivided	Front and rear pilot vehicles required.
			Night	All	No travel allowed.

Overhang

Exceeding (metres)		When	Highway	Conditions
1.0 (from the rear of the vehicle)		Day	All	Red flag required on the rear extremity.
		Night	All	Red clearance light required on the rear extremity.
6.5		Always	Provincial	Rear pilot required.
		Always	Brandon Winnipeg	Police escort may be required.
	9.0	Day	Provincial	Front and rear pilot vehicle required.
		Night	Provincial	Travel is prohibited.

Front Projections

Exceeding (metres)	When	Highway	Conditions
1.0 (from front bumper or front wheels, if no bumper)	Night / Day	All / All	Amber clearance light or reflector required on the sides of the front extremity.Red flag required on the front extremity.
	Night	All	Red clearance light required on the front extremity.
3.0 (king pin setback)	Always	Provincial All	Front pilot vehicle is required.
	Always	Brandon Winnipeg	Police escort may be required.
6.0 (from the turn centre of the steer axle)	Always	Provincial All	Front pilot vehicle is required.
	Always	Brandon Winnipeg	Police escort may be required.

 

Escort vehicles requirements

When a permit requires an overdimensional vehicle or vehicle carrying an overdimensional load to be escorted by a pilot vehicle, the permit holder and the vehicle's driver and operator must ensure that — except as otherwise provided in the permit — the vehicle is escorted by a pilot vehicle and that the pilot vehicle complies with this Part and has the equipment and sign required by it.

A pilot vehicle must be a motor vehicle (a) the height of which is such that (i) the bottom edge of a top-mounted sign sits (A) not more than 5 cm above the roof of the vehicle, and (B) not less than 1.6 m and not more than 2.5 m above the road surface, and (ii) when a sign is mounted as required under subclause (i), the sign is visible to other traffic from the front and the rear; and (b) that is large enough and has sufficient load-carrying capacity to carry the equipment and sign that this Part or the permit requires.

A pilot vehicle must not tow another vehicle. 

Equipment and signs on pilot vehicles

A pilot vehicle must (a) be equipped with a hands-free communications device that allows the pilot vehicle's driver to communicate with the driver of the overdimensional vehicle or vehicle carrying an overdimensional load; (b) be equipped with a stop/slow paddle, high visibility safety apparel, protective headwear and a flashlight that comply with subsection 20.6(2) of the Workplace Safety and Health Regulation, Manitoba Regulation 217/2006; (c) be equipped with a fire extinguisher that complies with National Fire Protection Association Standard NFPA 10, Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers and is in good working order; (d) be equipped with flares or reflectors for hazard warning that (i) are visible from a distance of 150 m under normal atmospheric conditions, and (ii) conform to any standards that apply to them under the Act; (e) be equipped with at least one roof-mounted flashing amber lamp that, when lighted, is capable of emitting a beam of light clearly visible from a distance of 300 m in normal daylight and is in good working order; and (f) when escorting an overdimensional vehicle or vehicle carrying an overdimensional load that is required by permit to have a sign mentioned in section 40, must carry a sign that meets the requirements of subsection (2).

The sign required by clause (1)(f) must (a) be constructed of durable material suitable for use of the sign in all weather and highway conditions; (b) comply with the requirements for design, colour and dimensions set out in Schedule F; (c) be evenly illuminated so that each face of the sign is clearly visible from a distance of 300 m in the ambient lighting conditions in which the pilot vehicle is being operated; (d) shelter all wire connectors, switches, flashers and similar wiring components for the wiring attached to the sign; (e) if the maximum luminance is more than 100 cd/m2 , be adjustable to a nighttime setting of 100 cd/m2 or less; (f) have mounted on it two outboard amber lamps (one at each end) that (i) comply with Society of Automotive Engineers Standard J595, Directional Flashing Optical Warning Devices for Authorized Emergency, Maintenance and Service Vehicles, and (ii) flash in unison;

(g) have mounted on it two inboard rotating lamps or strobe lamps (one on each end) that (i) operate only when adverse weather and highway conditions are encountered, and (ii) comply with Society of Automotive Engineers Standard J845, Optical Warning Devices for Authorized Emergency, Maintenance, and Service Vehicles; (h) have separate circuits to prevent simultaneous operation of the two lighting systems described in clauses (f) and (g) and be controlled by a three-way on-off switch; (i) be designed to mount on car-top carriers or a comparable mounting method; and (j) be capable of being covered, blacked out or folded down when not in use.

Prohibition on misuse of signs

A person must not drive or operate on a highway a vehicle or a combination of vehicles displaying a sign indicating the presence of an overdimensional vehicle or vehicle carrying an overdimensional load unless the person is (a) driving or operating an overdimensional vehicle or vehicle carrying an overdimendsional load; or (b) driving or operating a pilot vehicle that is escorting an overdimensional vehicle or vehicle carrying an overdimensional load.

Proximity of pilot vehicle to escorted vehicle

A person driving or operating a pilot vehicle that is escorting an overdimensional vehicle or vehicle carrying an overdimensional load must (a) precede or follow the escorted vehicle, as set out in the permit; and

(b) stay within a distance from the escorted vehicle that is (i) between the minimum and maximum distance set out in the permit, or (ii) if the permit does not stipulate a minimum and maximum distance, a distance that is reasonably prudent considering the speed of the escorted vehicle, the presence of other traffic, and the prevailing highway conditions. For certainty, a permit may require one pilot vehicle to precede the escorted vehicle and a second pilot vehicle to follow the escorted vehicle.

Application of extra-provincial requirements to non-residents 

 A non-resident of Manitoba driving or operating an overdimensional vehicle or vehicle carrying an overdimensional load is deemed to have complied with this Part if they are conforming to similar regulations that are in effect in the jurisdiction in which the vehicle is registered.

Source of information: https://web2.gov.mb.ca/laws/regs/annual/2018/155.pdf 

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