LONGVIEW, Texas (KLTV) – We’re all familiar with vehicle inspections. All vehicles on roadways must have them, and that includes commercial transport. And those commercial vehicles can also undergo a random inspection at any time by law enforcement in Texas.
It’s designed to help keep the roads safe, according to Longview Police Spokesman Brandon Thornton.
“We’ve had the program in Longview since 2009. We have a memorandum of understanding with Texas Department of Public Safety. We fall under their policies and their guidelines when we’re out here inspecting trucks,” Thornton said.
In 1927 the State of Texas employed License and Weight Inspectors within the Texas Highway Department, to regulate increasing transport traffic. Later, under the umbrella of the DPS, Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Troopers make sure commercial vehicles were safe. Law enforcement agencies across the state have become part of that program.
Thornton says there are five Longview officers who conduct the inspections.
“We try to come out at least once a month, if not once every other week and inspect trucks,” Thornton said.
An officer will escort a commercial transport vehicle to the Longview Fairgrounds or other parking lot away from traffic. It’s there they conduct Commercial Vehicle Enforcement safety inspections.
“With the CVE Program, if a vehicle falls into the category where they are considered a commercial motor vehicle, we can stop them just for driving down the road and conduct an inspection,” Thornton said.
Longview Police Sergeant Jeremy Higginbotham says the officers know what to look for.
“We have to go through annual reoccurring training every year through DPS. And our initial training is about three weeks to a month long down in Austin where we work side by side with DPS. And they’re the ones who actually certify us in how to do the inspections,” Higginbotham said.
They check:
“Brakes and air lines and load securement and that kind of thing; things that could put the public in danger,” Thornton said.
Most vehicles pass inspection, but those that don’t have to go to the shop before they can ease on down the road.
Today Longview police inspected 13 vehicles, and one had to go to the shop for brake repairs keeping a potentially dangerous vehicle off the road.
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