Texas cops and trucks

[AMonger]

Friend of mine drives a cube van. He was on his way to Texas, and I remarked that he seems to spend a lot of time down there. He drives the company-owned truck, so he gets a lot of miles, ifkwim&ityd. He said he was getting sick of it, and I asked why.

He says EVERY time he's in Texas and he gets off the big road onto a secondary road, he gets pulled over. Not for speed, but to shake him down. The last time, the cop wanted to check his load, but didn't want to take the step of breaking his seal, and the load was all the way forward against the crawl-through door, so the cop couldn't have gotten through that way even if my friend would have invited him to.

They went around and around for a while, my friend having volunteered the BOL, which was wheels and rims from El Paso, forget where it was going to. "Suuuuuuure wish I knew you didn't have anything illegal in there," the cop drawled. They were at an impasse. The cop didn't want to take the next step of breaking the seal, and my friend didn't want to invite him to because of the headaches that would cause.

"Suuuuuuuure wish I knew you didn't have anything illegal in there," the cop repeated, and repeated again a few more times during this "standoff."

When it became apparent that this was going nowhere, the cop finally sent him on his way. My friend says variations of this happen every time he gets off the big road down there.

Anybody else?

 

[Lawrence]

Sounds like random "law enforcement". I love Texas - sounds like something that would happen more so in Ohio. IMHO.

 

[LDB]

Well, born and raised here and have driven MANY miles here and never had that happen even once. Maybe it's the mural on the box saying "smugglers R us" that causes his problem.

 

[RLENT]

Never been stopped once since I've been driving down there and I've run the backroads a good bit ...... of course, shaving fairly regularly and wearing the mop high and tight in a flat top probably don't hurt either ....

 

[arkjarhead]

I like Texas, but forget their Cops if you know what I mean. I had one pull me over in Dioball and said my wife had to come out of the sleeper asap. I told him she wasn't coming out until she got dressed. It was three a.m. and she was in a night gown and wasn't about to stand on the side of the road. I won the argument when I asked him if would want his wife out there at that time in her night clothes. We moved to the back of the trailer and I got my ticket.

 

[greg334]

This is a growing problem in the state.

Hearing from small fleet owners in the last month, they have had drivers harassed by Texas cops for the last few months.

 

[fastman_1]

Sounds like random "law enforcement". I love Texas - sounds like something that would happen more so in Ohio. IMHO.

I've spent 51 years of my life in Ohio and never been stopped for anything, all my tickets came from other states.

 

[ebsprintin]

When I drove a non-brand name company straight truck for a year, we were regularly pulled over on Texas roads. It was usually because we didn't have a license plate on the back of the truck. What it took to convince Texas troopers that their state doesn't issue two plates to a truck.

In my van half the time I'm pulled over is in Texas. I think they looking for illegals.

eb

 

[flattop40]

of course, shaving fairly regularly and wearing the mop high and tight in a flat top probably don't hurt either ....

Hey, I resemble that remark

 

[xiggi]

Hmmmm cops looking for drugs. Or illegals. Shame on them.

 

[AMonger]

Hmmmm cops looking for drugs. Or illegals. Shame on them.

Shame on them for stopping him without probable cause, yes.

 

[Streakn1]

When I drove a non-brand name company straight truck for a year, we were regularly pulled over on Texas roads.

In my van half the time I'm pulled over is in Texas. I think they looking for illegals. eb

Man I love pulling my stepdeck in Texas! Cops can see most everything I've got onboard. You think if I chained and strapped some illegals to the deck the Texas Rangers would arrest me for illegal bondage?

 

[moose]

Shame on them for stopping him without probable cause, yes.

I actually don't know where i'm standing on this one

is it wrong for a LEO to stop a CV for a random?

i know , i do all i can to pass a random at any time ANY TIME , whether the truck moving or not .
sure wish to know all other Drivers set up for the same standard .
but then again , some 80% of all out of service violations are issued on the road side inspections .
what make it a strong money grabber for the locals .as well as the tow truck owner,& the on call truck shop...

 

[AMonger]

I actually don't know where i'm standing on this one

is it wrong for a LEO to stop a CV for a random?

It's Wrong (capital W) for any government agent or employee to stop anyone, anytime, under any circumstances absent probable cause. No car, truck, boat, pedestrian, someone on horseback, etc. can be stopped without probable cause. Of course, it happens all the time and will continue.

But it's illegal, unethical, and immoral.

 

[RLENT]

Hey, I resemble that remark

.... that's mighty nice avatar ya have there .... I'm jealous ....

 

[bikerpaul]

Being a retired Deputy Sheriff here in Ohio, I can tell you the name of the game is "PROBABLE CAUSE". If I'm legally driving down the road and I get stopped, the first thing I'm going to ask is what is the probable cause for the stop. I never made a stop without it, and no ethical officer should make one without it. Most law enforcement agencies now have an Internal Affairs Office, and no officer wants to have to be involved with an I.A. investigation. A complaint to I.A. is a very strong message to an officer that makes a stop without probable cause. The good buddy system is not active in the I.A. Office.

 

[nightcreacher]

In my 33 years of driving,I've been stopped 1 time in Texas,and that was for a speed to fast to brag about,also didn't get a ticket but a 15 minuet lecture..This was better than the jail time I deserved,being about 40 over the 55.What the cop said to me was from 6am til midnight this road was his road,and what ever happens between midnight and 6 am he didn't care.If I got stopped for even jay walking this verbal warning would go on record.I don't run even 2 over the limit in Texas.This happened in 1995.

 

[Jack_Berry]

landline mag, the paper version, has a follow up article this month about the police in hillsboro tx. this is a town where 35w and 35e come together. seems a couple women "reported" they were bumped by large trucks. the drivers were stopped, detained and both ended up losing their jobs and one had almost paid off his tractor with us express. both are now working again. it has been months and the hillsboro chief of police has noting to offer about the paint that was sent to the state for anlysis(guess abby doesn't work there). stay well clear of cars in hillsboro and be careful.

 

[Turtle]

I got stopped last year down in Texas by a local cop, on I-35. He stopped me for going 68 in a 65. No ticket, just a warning. But he was much more interested in the Sprinter than he was in admonishing me for speeding.