DPS Opens New Truck Inspection Facility

SEGUIN, TX – The Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Thursday dedicated the most state-of-the-art truck inspection facility in Texas, located on Interstate 10.

The Seguin Inspection Facility in Guadalupe County is a project five years in the making, and was accomplished through a partnership among state, local and federal agencies, as well as the commercial vehicle industry.

“This one of a kind facility will benefit the trucking industry throughout the state of Texas and beyond, and promote safety for everyone on the roadway,” said DPS Director Steven McCraw. “The facility will quickly and efficiently get commercial vehicles back on the road, while helping put dangerous trucks out of service on this busy stretch of highway between San Antonio and Houston.”

The Seguin Inspection Facility, which was designed by the Texas Department of Transportation, is located on Interstate 10 East at mile marker 620 east of Seguin and includes a number of features to expedite inspections. Guadalupe County built a four-lane wide awning for trucks to pull under, allowing trucks that pass the initial screening to continue on their way while trucks with potential violations are pulled over for additional safety checks.

The facility is equipped with $1 million in technology that helps detect in real time if a commercial vehicle is following the law. Features include a weigh-in-motion sensor and an over-height detector, as well as hazardous materials placard and carrier identification sensors.

The sensors are connected to a computer database that identify credentialing, violation history and if the vehicle is under a federal out-of-service order. A thermal imaging array examines a truck’s wheels and brakes for abnormalities, such as defective brakes.

The new station also features a pit for DPS Troopers and Inspectors to more easily inspect brakes, linings and other items from underneath the truck. A 90-foot platform scale — the only one like it in the state — allows inspection officials to weigh an entire truck at once.