Tennessee and Georgia cops showed off their marked patrol big rigs at a rest area safety event this week.
On Monday, May 20, the Georgia Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) Motor Carrier Compliance Division (MCCD) teamed up with the Tennessee Highway Patrol to educate drivers about highway safety at the I-75 Welcome Centers in Georgia and Tennessee.
At the “Share the Road” event, the public was invited to try out driving simulators to learn about the importance of safe driving.
While taking part in the safety event, the agencies both displayed their marked big rigs.
The Georgia DPS truck is a black Kenworth T680 with custom blue and red lights. It pulls a trailer housing an MCCD driving simulator that is frequently used at educational events. The truck is also used in enforcement details.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol also uses their marked Peterbilt semi truck fitted with a police light bar for educational events and for enforcement activities.
While not present at this week’s safety event, the Florida Highway Patrol’s Office of Commercial Vehicle Enforcement (CVE) also has multiple marked semi trucks used for education and patrolling.
While it may seem strange for law enforcement agencies to patrol in semi trucks, police say that the higher vantage point allows them to see dangerous behaviors like texting behind the wheel that would be harder to spot from a regular police cruiser. Additionally, many drivers aren’t on their best behavior when operating near a semi truck the way that they would be when cruising next to a traditional police vehicle.