That load normally wouldnt require a pilot car but the road it was going up is not a good one. I took that picture in a turn out after I got off of the highway and had to wait for pilot to go any further. My permits stated that I could be up to 14 feet wide with no pilot car going down the highway but there are different rules for different roads.
One job we were moving required three 9axle moves and I only used a pilot car on one of them. On pretty much all roads if you are under twelve feet and can keep the truck trailer and load on your side of the center lane you are good to go, but if you have to cross that line even once on a road it requires a pilot car.
The road to the geysers is a very steep and twisty road with many places being only one lane and it actually requires a police for all oversized loads, even if your only over by an inch, so we were still outlawing it a little bit
. The geysers covers thousands of acres and they have thier own set of rules. Many of thier roads have grades over 20% and you spend alot of time in first gear. Many drivers have made the trip up there and refuse to go back, a few have even had to have someone else come get thier truck and drive it down. It is a whole different world up there and you definately have no room for mistakes.