Speaker: Captain Matthew Scales, Texas Highway Patrol

1. Safety Track: Best Practices for Dealing
with Law Enforcement on Weighing
Captain Matthew Scales,
Texas Highway Patrol

2. Basic Weight Law
Texas Department of Public Safety

3. A Weight Enforcement Officer means:
TRC 621.401
• A CVE inspector of the Department of Public Safety;
• a highway patrol officer;
• a sheriff or sheriff’s deputy;
• a municipal police officer in a municipality with a
population of 100,000 or more;

4. A Weight Enforcement Officer means:
TRC 621.401
•a police officer in a municipality with a population of 74,000 or
more in a county with a population of 1.5 million or more; or
•a police officer certified under TRC 644.101 (Certification of
Municipal Police Officers by the DPS).
•a constable or deputy constable designated under 621.4015

5. House Bill 1252 Requirements
The Department of Public Safety:
• shall establish by rule uniform weighing procedures for weight
enforcement officers to ensure an accurate weight is obtained for a
motor vehicle; and
• may revoke or rescind the authority of:
• A weight enforcement officer who fails to comply with those rules;
or
• Weight enforcement officers of a municipal police department,
sheriff’s department, or constable’s office that fails to comply with
those rules.

6. Weighing Loaded Vehicles
621.402
• A weight enforcement officer who has reason to believe that the gross
weight or axle weight of a loaded motor vehicle is unlawful may:
• weigh the vehicle using portable or stationary scales furnished or
approved by the DPS; or
• require the vehicle to be weighed by a public scale.
• Enforcement action cannot be taken using Weigh In Motion (WIM)
scales.
• The officer may require that the vehicle be driven to the nearest
available scales.

7. TX DPS Approved Scales
• Portable Scales (i.e. Intercomp Model PT-300, Haenni Model WL101, others listed in the
MOU)
• Agencies must follow the manufacturer guidelines when utilizing portable scales
• Semi-Portable Scales (Transported on Trailers)
• Permanent/Stationary (In ground)
• Calibrations - Must be performed annually on each scale used or after any maintenance is
done.
• When utilizing public scales ensure they have been calibrated during the past 12 month
period.

8. Uniform Weighing Procedures
• ALWAYS use the most restrictive weights when attempting to
determine a vehicle’s legal allowed axle, group of axles, or gross
weight.
• ALWAYS file the heaviest weight case (regardless of the fine amount).
ONLY issue 1 weight citation.
• Requires the officer to get all tires of a tandem or group off the ground
to acquire an accurate weight.
• ALL Department policies and procedures must be followed or
authority to enforce weight law can be revoked by the Department
(requiring Agency or officer to attend the training again).

9. IDENTIFY THE GREATEST PERCEIVED FLAW
IN THE PROCESS OF WEIGHING
SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT…AND PROVIDE
THE SOLUTION.
QUESTION

10. 10

11. 11

12. 12

13. 2015 Weight Stats
• 2015
• 54,615 Weight Inspections
• 98,830 Vehicles Weighed
• 61,170 Weight Violations
• 25,318 Weight Citations Issued
• 35,852 Weight Warnings Issued
• 4,035 Permit Violations
• 1,748 Permit Citations
• 2,287 Permit Warnings

14. 2016 Weight Stats
• 2016
• 52,925 Weight Inspections
• 94,511 Vehicles Weighed
• 56,295 Weight Violations
• 22,839 Weight Citations Issued
• 33,456 Weight Warnings Issued
• 4,722 Permit Violations
• 2,084 Permit Citations
• 2,638 Permit Warnings

15. 2017 Weight Stats
• 2017
• 51,712 Weight Inspections
• 92,867 Vehicles Weighed
• 57,334 Weight Violations
• 23,516 Weight Citations Issued
• 33,818 Weight Warnings Issued
• 4,464 Permit Violations
• 1,976 Permit Citations
• 2,488 Permit Warnings

16. 2015
Counts Description
29448 Over 34,000 Lbs. Tandem Axle
9497 Over Allowable Gross Weight
7889 Over Weight Group Of Axles
2442 Over 34,000 Tandem Axle - Permit Viol (P)
2303 Over Registered Weight
1886 Over Weight Group Of Axles (b-bridge Law)
1465 Tire Load - Exceeds Tire Weight Rating
1380 Over Allowable Gross Weight-permit Violation (P)
1245 Over 20,000 Single Axle
1097 Over Tandem Axle - Shifted
2016
Counts Description
25673 Over 34,000 Lbs. Tandem Axle
8730 Over Allowable Gross Weight
6545 Over Weight Group Of Axles
2887 Over 34,000 Tandem Axle - Permit Viol (P)
2238 Over Weight Group Of Axles (b-bridge Law)
1985 Over Registered Weight
1733 Over Allowable Gross Weight-permit Violation (P)
1685 Tire Load - Exceeds Tire Weight Rating
1256 Over Tandem Axle - Shifted
1163 Over 20,000 Single Axle
2017
Counts Description
25781 Over 34,000 Lbs. Tandem Axle
9250 Over Allowable Gross Weight
6432 Over Weight Group Of Axles
2950 Over Weight Group Of Axles (b-bridge Law)
2660 Over 34,000 Tandem Axle - Permit Viol (P)
2002 Tire Load - Exceeds Tire Weight Rating
1717 Over Allowable Gross Weight-permit Violation (P)
1628 Over Registered Weight
1320 Over Tandem Axle - Shifted
1242 Over 20,000 Single Axle

17. Permit Violations
2015
Counts Description
2442 Over 34,000 Tandem Axle - Permit Viol (P)
1380 Over Allowable Gross Weight-permit Violation (P)
162 Over 20,000 Single Axle - Permit Viol (P)
30 Over 10% Tandem Axle (50,600) - Cement - Permit Viol
21 Overweight Group Of Axles-permit Viol (P)
2016
Counts Description
2887 Over 34,000 Tandem Axle - Permit Viol (P)
1733 Over Allowable Gross Weight-permit Violation (P)
43 Over 20,000 Single Axle - Permit Viol (P)
32 Over 10% Tandem Axle (50,600) - Cement - Permit Viol
17 Overweight Group Of Axles-permit Viol (P)
10 Overweight Group Of Axles Bridge Law-permit (BP)
2017
Counts Description
2660 Over 34,000 Tandem Axle - Permit Viol (P)
1717 Over Allowable Gross Weight-permit Violation (P)
35 Overweight Group Of Axles-permit Viol (P)
35 Over 20,000 Single Axle - Permit Viol (P)
17 Over 10% Tandem Axle (50,600) - Cement - Permit Viol

18. QUESTIONS?