CORPUS CHRISTI (Kiii News) -
Department of Public Safety troopers are cracking down on commercial vehicles out on South Texas roads.
With the oil and gas industry booming due to fracking in the Eagle Ford shale, there has been a big increase in 18-wheeler traffic. The DPS wants to make sure the vehicles are in compliance with federal and state law, and are being driven safely down the roadways.
DPS officials said they are being more aggressive in inspecting commercial vehicles. Recently, they have issued a lot of warnings and citations, and have even placed vehicles out of service to tow away.
"It could be from brakes, it could be for insecure loads, it could be from something that's going to be dangerous for the public," DPS Trooper Johnny Hernandez said. "It's an 80,000-pound vehicle going down the road. We want to make sure everybody is safe on our Texas roadways, and of course we're looking for overweight trucks too, because what does that do? That damages the roadways."
Last week, DPS launched a special enforcement operation in McMullen County, and will continue that operation next week. Troopers say they will not limit their inspections to that area, and will be on the roadways all over with the goal of reducing fatalities, and the number of unsafe vehicles and drivers on the roads.
