A piece of metal flew off a pickup truck on a San Antonio roadway, struck a city solid-waste vehicle and damaged its radiator badly enough that the vehicle had to be pulled out of service. The incident, which happened several weeks before the report, is now driving city officials to step up enforcement of San Antonio's tarp law, which requires drivers hauling trash, brush, construction debris or other loose materials to properly secure and cover their loads.
The city says unsecured loads of trash, brush and other debris keep falling onto local roadways, creating both litter and safety hazards for other drivers, according to KSAT. The Department of Solid Waste says improperly secured loads create messes and safety problems for everyone sharing the road, and the department is working with the San Antonio Police Department and Bexar County law enforcement to get more drivers into compliance before cracking down harder.
A Damaged Radiator and a Pulled-From-Service Truck
The metal that struck the city's solid-waste vehicle came loose from a pickup truck's load and damaged the vehicle's radiator, forcing the truck out of service, as reported by KENS 5. The outlet's account does not pin down an exact date for the incident, placing it only as happening several weeks before publication.
Nicholas Galus, deputy director of the Department of Solid Waste, said the city wants more residents to understand the law exists before penalties ramp up. “We want to try to increase awareness. Not everybody is familiar that there's an actual law that requires you to secure and tarp your load,” Galus said, per the same account. He added that some drivers wait until they're close to a disposal site before finally covering their loads properly, which does nothing to stop debris from falling out during the earlier part of the drive.
What the Law Actually Requires
Under the rule, a tarp must fully cover the material being hauled and be fastened down with ratchet straps or bungee cords. The city is reminding anyone hauling trash, brush or debris to secure and cover their loads before they ever start driving, not after they're nearly at their destination, since drivers can be cited before they reach a landfill or brush site.
The potential costs vary depending on which account you read. KENS 5 reported that drivers with unsecured loads could face citations ranging from $181 to $224, attributing that figure to Galus. KSAT, meanwhile, reported that SAPD has issued 18 tickets for uncovered loads or loose materials in 2025 and 25 so far this year, with each ticket costing about $180.
Fees Pile Up at Disposal Sites Too
Beyond roadway citations, drivers who show up at a city brush site or landfill without a tarp can also be hit with an extra fee. The city told KSAT that about 4,400 drivers who arrived without a tarp have paid an additional $25 fee. KENS 5's account described that disposal-site fee as potentially ranging from $5 to $25.
Bexar County law enforcement is working with the city to address similar violations.
For now, the Department of Solid Waste says it's prioritizing education over punishment, hoping drivers tarp their loads before officers need to write more tickets. But with a city vehicle already damaged and taken out of service, officials are signaling that leniency has limits, and that heavier enforcement is coming for anyone still hauling an uncovered load through San Antonio streets.
