New Texas trailer rules

[wsp617]

Just curious, dragging a broken car down an interstate using a wal-mart chain is ok in Wi???[/QUOTE]

Unfortunately, there minimal restrictions on this issue. The only law we have is: (1) No person shall operate a vehicle towing or
drawing another vehicle or vehicles on a highway if the drawbar
or other connection between any 2 vehicles exceeds 12 feet in
length.

On the other hand, it's very rare to have people do this on the interstate.

 

[two_bit_score]

Time to stir the pot again. This is coming from a State Trooper so it has a different perspective. The way it is described, the TX farm plate law for trailers sounds like the same as WI. Farm trailers cost a fraction of regular trailer plates and are called "restricted use". Farm truck plates can be used for personal use but farm trailer plates are farm use only.

As far as the safety chains issue, I have never even considered citing someone for not having the chains crossed. Nor have I ever stopped someone for not having them crossed. I will advise people that I have stopped on what is required and why. I get more worried about the guys that don't have adequate safety chains or worse yet, the ones with NO CHAINS. Those are the guys that get tickets. For the most part, farmers do a pretty job getting chains hooked up and having good equipment. Scrap haulers (at least in my area) are a different story. I've stopped plenty of rigs going to the scrap yard where the whole **** rig, truck, trailer and load should be left at the scrap yard.

I had a co-worker of mine was badly injured by a ranaway trailer. He was operating laser in a crossover on the interstate when a bumper hitch cattle trailer broke loose. It t-boned his cruiser and he ended up with a broken vertebrae. So yes, things can happen.

Another two issues not yet discused here are trailer brakes and trailer lights. In WI, when a trailer and load exceeds 3000 LBS, the trailer has to have working brakes. That's another issue I find not only with scrap haulers but others that haul heavier loads. Many times the trailer will be equipped with brakes but the truck pulling it isn't set up for trailer brakes. The lights issue is just common sense. Trailers need to have working lights. I don't like it when I stop a rig and the trailer wiring harness isn't plugged in because there's no place to plug it in...you got some explaining to do.

Do you drive through parking lots looking for disconnected wiring harnesses?

 

[chopped]

You are right, the officer did NOT make the law. It is at his discression to enforce the law though. I do lots of travelling on Texas highways every day and see MUCH worse going on than some safety chains not crossed.
I always find this interesting that there is a descretion in enforcing a law. While I agree with thte concept, I believe that they are being negligent in their dutys, and possibly putting themselves in a situation where they could be accountable if there were injurys/Proving this would be tough to do. Nut if the "people' pass a law and they are paying the cops to do their job and enforce it then they should do the job.In a way this 'discretion' is no more than 'reading into' the law their opinion.
I agre that its not alwasy crystal clear, and that they make decisions everyday.And another if they decide to 'notice' it and not do their duty..

 

[tthopskin@yahoo.ca]

Sounds like the right thing for them to do
I'm sick of all the idiots on the road pulling trailers putting everyones life at risk, just now on the way home I passed a pickup pulling a trailer with a mini-ex just parked on the trailer....no tie downs at all. Unbelievebly I see that often:confused2:

a safety would still not help this now would it and how about all the campers tell me how many are safety d only when new how long has it been for you to have you car safety ed the dot can take a car new and find something to ticket you on YES NEW just getting sick of people trying to get others in sh.it things happen and every one is looking to blame some one else --they should have it marked or i don't know it's bull ----yes to the equipment not tied down not good he should get a ticket and a big one

 

[tthopskin@yahoo.ca]

Do you drive through parking lots looking for disconnected wiring harnesses?

your quote is not good the guy was just trying to help and you put this up

 

[triplemoutdoors]

They are getting harder on the ones who have farm tags and dont use them acordingly, like hauling 4wheelers to the mud fest. Im not gona sweat it.:thumbsup:

I use my 4 wheeler at the farm all of the time. If they pull me over for having it loaded on the trailer...

Safety chains must be crossed or my dad would slap me upside the head!:confused2:

 

[triplemoutdoors]

http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/InternetForms/Forms/CVE-13.pdf

See page 18 for farm trailer registration and page 31 for safety chains.

 

[whodat526]

hahaha... sorry for laughing, but EVERYBODY gets pulled over in Jefferson Texas...

Usually, they try and catch everybody out in that "flat" between the blinking light and the intersection @49. One other place is just north of 49 they like to sit in a wash bay at the self serve car wash!!!. Was it JPD or DPS?

they stopped me right after i turned on 49 headed to dangerfield right past the rr tracks but he was very nice but it was a state trooper

 

[two_bit_score]

You are right, the officer did NOT make the law. It is at his discression to enforce the law though. I do lots of travelling on Texas highways every day and see MUCH worse going on than some safety chains not crossed.
I always find this interesting that there is a descretion in enforcing a law. While I agree with thte concept, I believe that they are being negligent in their dutys, and possibly putting themselves in a situation where they could be accountable if there were injurys/Proving this would be tough to do. Nut if the "people' pass a law and they are paying the cops to do their job and enforce it then they should do the job.In a way this 'discretion' is no more than 'reading into' the law their opinion.
I agre that its not alwasy crystal clear, and that they make decisions everyday.And another if they decide to 'notice' it and not do their duty..

There is a lot of descretion in law enforcement, as it should be. There is enforcement descretion by the peace officers and then there is prosecutorial descretion by prosecutors when they decline to prosecute various cases filed by the cops or when they offer plea deals.

Then there is the so called 'professional courtesy' where one cop is loathe to write a ticket to another cop. Happens a lot. When you would get a ticket someone else doesn't because of 'professional courtesy'.

 

[two_bit_score]

I use my 4 wheeler at the farm all of the time. If they pull me over for having it loaded on the trailer...

Safety chains must be crossed or my dad would slap me upside the head!:confused2:

A good argument could be made that 4 wheelers or gators, etc are farm 'equipment' in a lot of cases.