Tennessee and Georgia cops bring their marked patrol big rigs to safety event

Written by: Mellow Mike. Meteorologist/Mechanic

Ringgold, Georgia - In a stunning display of “undercover” flamboyance, the Tennessee and Georgia police forces paraded their colossal patrol rigs at a rest area safety extravaganza. On the fateful day of May 20, the Georgia Department of Public Safety’s (DPS) Motor Carrier Compliance Division (MCCD) joined forces with the Tennessee Highway Patrol in a dramatic show of educational force at the I-75 Welcome Centers. The “Share the Road” event, which might as well have been dubbed “Pigs in Rigs,” beckoned the public to test their driving prowess on simulators, presumably to learn that the road is not a stage for reckless abandon.

The agencies, not ones to shy away from a grand entrance, showcased their behemoth big rigs. The Georgia DPS truck, a black Kenworth T680, donned custom blue and red lights, resembling a ball of glitter on wheels. It tows a trailer with an MCCD driving simulator, a contraption frequently used at events to remind us mere mortals of our fallible driving nature. This truck, the dark knight of the highways, also partakes in enforcement details, striking fear into the hearts of traffic violators.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol, not to be outdone, flaunts their marked Peterbilt semi-truck, complete with a police light bar that doubles as a disco light when rented out to partygoers if the Highway Patrol doesn’t make its monthly quota. While the Florida Highway Patrol’s Office of Commercial Vehicle Enforcement (CVE) was conspicuously absent from this week’s safety soiree, they too possess an armada of marked semi-trucks for educational and patrolling purposes, because why patrol in a cruiser when you can commandeer a fortress on wheels?

The rationale behind these mobile citadels? A higher vantage point to spot the dastardly deeds of texting drivers, because nothing says “I’m watching you” quite like a semi-truck decked out in police livery. And let’s face it, many drivers exhibit their finest motoring etiquette not when beside a standard police vehicle, but when in the looming shadow of a semi-truck, the highway equivalent of a chaperone at a high school dance. So next time you’re cruising down the interstate, remember: the bigger the truck, the closer the watchful eyes of Johnny Law.

Disclaimer: The preceding article is a satirical piece, much like a unicorn in a business suit. It contains exaggerations and fictional elements to emphasize certain aspects of the story. The events and characters portrayed should not be taken as factual representations of the respective law enforcement agencies or their personnel.