breakin' the law, breakin' the law...

I can't believe it, we got pulled over today. Speeding? no, No seat belt? no, tail light out? no, inspection out? no,..... apparently in Texas, IT IS LAW to have mud flaps on dual-rear-wheel vehicles!! Who new? Luckily, just a warning. we've only had the truck 5 months. Bought it used, it was originally from Arkansas.


This is what the TX Commercial Driver's License Handbook says.....

All trucks or trailers with four or more tires on the rear axle must be equipped with safety guards or mud flaps behind the rear wheels. These flaps must reach to within 8 inches of the surface of the highway and are for the purpose of preventing the slinging of mud and slush.

This is what the TX Transportation Code Says.....

§ 547.606. SAFETY GUARDS OR FLAPS REQUIRED. (a) A road tractor, truck, trailer, truck-tractor in combination with a semitrailer, or semitrailer in combination with a towing vehicle that has at least four tires on the rearmost axle of the vehicle or
the rearmost vehicle in the combination shall be equipped with safety guards or flaps that1) are of a type prescribed by the department; and (2) are located and suspended behind the rearmost wheels of the vehicle or the rearmost vehicle in the combination within eight inches of the surface of the highway.(b) This section does not apply to a truck-tractor operated alone or a pole trailer.

Here is what the TX Transportation Code defines as a truck....

§ 541.201. VEHICLES. In this subtitle: (7) "Light truck" means a truck, including a pickup truck, panel delivery truck, or carryall truck, that has a manufacturer's rated carrying capacity of 2,000 pounds or less. or (21) "Truck" means a motor vehicle designed, used, or maintained primarily to transport property.

Your pickup has a payload capacity greater than 2000 lbs. You should look up the medium truck definition. Either way you require flaps by 547.606.

If you bought the truck and had it registered in Texas, then you have Texas license plates, to get Texas license plates you must have a Texas State inspection sticker before the plates will be issued. If your truck was inspected and passed, then the inspector was not doing his job. If you still had out of state plates, then you were breaking the law in that respect also. Consider your self lucky you only got a warning.

Just think of it as protection for your own rig. You won't be spraying the trailer with rocks and gravel. Maybe passenger cars should have deflectors, too.

Some states have a law that requires all vehicles that have fenders higher than the center line of the tire must have fender extensions or mud flaps. Seldomly enforced, but it is there.

Oh I don't mind having to get the mud flaps. Was thinking about it already. But I had no idea it was LAW. We bought the truck here in the Dallas, TX area at the same time we bought the ER... Both from the RV dealer, that had taken it in with a 5ver on trade for a diesel-pusher. I guess the inspection they missed that part.

TT

If it can generate revenue, there's probably an ordinance for it someplace.

In Alberta if the center of your wheel is below the body of your vehicle you need mud flaps on any vehicle.

In these Depressed times we are living in there seems to be more and more Tickets generated to provide revenue to local governments. Just last night I heard on the news where in one town the local government has told the Police they werent writing enough tickets to make up for shortfall in the budget. Thankfully you only got a warning.
After cleaning mud and grime off the front of the 5ver several times I have also considered adding the flaps to my 2500 Dodge.

After owning 8 RVs, I just found out that I should have a state safety inspection perform every year. I have never had the inspection done:={. No one had ever mention that was a requirement in Texas!