Mounted on the front of a pilot vehicle escorting an oversize load, this sign warns oncoming traffic what’s coming up behind. In New Zealand, NZTA requires it specifically when the pilot vehicle travels ahead of the load — if the pilot follows behind instead, the sign switches to “Wide Load Ahead.”
Pilot vehicles run flashing roof lights alongside the sign, and for the widest loads, two pilots travel ahead of the load rather than one.
When it’s required: loads over 3.1m wide need an NZTA-approved Class 2 pilot at night or when travelling over 40km/h. Loads wider than 3.1m or taller than 4.3m also need NZTA authorisation before using toll routes.
Specs: yellow reflective background, black border and bold condensed lettering for visibility at highway speed — standard road sign format.
