Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond has issued an opinion clarifying that farmers do not need a highway escort when hauling farm equipment between fields.
Oklahoma law generally requires vehicles wider than 12 feet to have an escort vehicle while traveling on state highways. Drummond’s opinion concludes the requirement does not apply to farm equipment or trailers used to haul it.
State law classifies equipment used exclusively for farming, including swathers and balers, as an “implement of husbandry” rather than a vehicle. Because the escort requirement applies to vehicles, Drummond said it does not apply to those implements or trailers hauling them.
The opinion was requested by Oklahoma Representative Dick Lowe after an Oklahoma Highway Patrol trooper cited a driver for hauling a swather on a trailer without an escort.
“Oklahoma farm families move equipment between fields every day of the growing season, and our laws should reflect that reality,” Drummond said.
Farmers must still comply with other state safety requirements, including proper lighting and taking reasonable steps to reduce the width of equipment for travel.
