A pilot vehicle also called an escort vehicle, supports and guides trucks hauling wide, over-dimensional, heavy loads. Escort vehicles also guide convoys of super large vehicles and motorists maneuvering through construction sites and airplanes on a runway. Generally, these cars are essential in heavy haul trucking. The vehicles are operated by professionals, who, by driving in front or behind the truck, can quickly warn the driver of any potential obstacles that might put the load, hauling equipment, or the team at risk.
Pilot cars protect structures, pedestrians, motorists, and other vehicles using the highway on which the load is transported. The truck and pilot car drivers frequently communicate using a 2-way radio or CB as the law demands. The pilot car driver must also understand when it is safe to start a pass across the work zone, which way to use, and the legal speed of operation. Besides wide, super large, and heavy loads, pilot cars are also used to guide extra-tall loads. In such cases, the pilot car must have a non-conductive pole usually attached to it.
