Gas wells bring big money to North Texas, but they also bring big trucks that tear up local roads.
Johnson County Commissioner Jerry Stringer is fighting back with a truck-weight enforcement station right in front of his road repair office.
It offers a large, level slab where state troopers and sheriff’s deputies can use portable scales to weigh trucks on the spot.
“This, to my knowledge, is the only location that was specifically built for this,” Stringer said.
A donation to the county from Premier Tank Trucks helped pay for the project.
A 20-man road crew working for Stringer on a full-time basis repairs problems caused by heavy trucks, but it's not enough.
“Unfortunately, there’s a lot more roads and a lot less budget money than what we need,” Stringer said.
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A DPS trooper and a Johnson County Sheriff’s deputy used the weight station Tuesday. Trooper Casey Jones said overweight trucks are not hard to spot.
“Sometimes you look at the tires. Really, really heavy trucks, the tires are going to be squatting real good," he said.
Rey Parra, who drove a truck that passed the weight test, said he supports the enforcement.
”I appreciate them trying to keep the roads safe," he said. "I drive the same roads they do.”
Parra said other drivers have heard about the enforcement effort and are watching weight more closely,
