Truck accident lawyer in McAllen: where trucks can go and what proof to save

Last checked November 8, 2026

McAllen bars trucks from city-maintained streets unless a sign allows them, with exceptions for deliveries and service.12 After a crash, move fast on records: trucking companies must keep driver hours logs for only 6 months.3 You generally have 2 years to file a lawsuit in Texas.4

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Road map of McAllen showing U.S. 83, Military Highway and 10th Street, the city's listed routes for hazardous material trucks
Truck companies must keep driver logs for only 6 months. Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors.

Where are 18-wheelers allowed to drive in McAllen?

McAllen's rule is simple on paper. Every state-maintained road is a truck route unless a sign says otherwise, and trucks are banned from city-maintained roads unless a sign allows them.1 City code counts a vehicle mainly built to haul property and rated over 10,000 pounds. Ordinary pickups do not count.5

There are exceptions. A truck may leave a route for a pickup or delivery at a specific place, or for service, repairs, lodging or fuel.2 Once it is done, it has to get back to a truck route by the most direct practical way.6

So if a tractor-trailer hit you on a quiet neighborhood street, ask why it was there. Was it delivering nearby, or cutting through? Breaking a route rule does not prove fault by itself, but it is a fair question for the driver and the company.

Why are there so many trucks around McAllen?

The border. The Pharr-Reynosa bridge counted 703,991 truck crossings in fiscal 2025-2026.7 The city-run Anzalduas bridge also takes southbound empty commercial trucks.8 In 2025, Hidalgo County had 597 crashes involving a commercial motor vehicle, and 4 people were killed in them.9

City numbers can look calmer than the highways feel. In McAllen's Vision Zero plan, 1 of the 409 people in freight crashes was killed or seriously hurt.10 That plan left out interstates,11 so a crash on Interstate 2 is not part of that count. The plan did find that night is overrepresented in the most serious freight crashes.12

Which McAllen roads can carry hazardous material trucks?

  • U.S. 83 Expressway, between Jackson Road and Taylor Road.13
  • Military Highway (F.M. 1016), between 10th Street and Taylor Road.13
  • 10th Street (SH 336), between Military Highway and the southern city limit.13

If a tanker or placarded truck hit you somewhere else in the city, make sure the investigator knows. Write down any placard numbers you saw or took a photo of. Federal rules also set higher insurance for certain hazardous loads, so what the truck was hauling can change the amount of coverage.14

What proof can disappear after a truck crash in McAllen?

RecordFederal ruleWhy you want it
Driver hours logsKept at least 6 months3Can show whether the driver ran over the limit
Hours limitsUp to 11 hours of driving after 10 hours off, and no driving after 14 hours on the clock15The yardstick for those logs
Company crash listKept 3 years after each crash16Can show a pattern
Alcohol test after a deadly crashSurviving driver tested as soon as the company can17Can show whether alcohol played a part

A company has no reason to save extra records on its own. Someone needs to send a written request soon after the crash asking it to keep them. That is one of the first things to ask a truck accident lawyer in McAllen about. Until then, photograph the company name, the DOT number on the cab door, and the trailer plate. Plates from Mexico or another state are worth writing down too.

Who investigates a truck wreck in McAllen, and how do I get the report?

McAllen Police handles crashes on city streets, and it investigated 2,630 crashes of all kinds in 2025.18 Texas Highway Patrol works the rural highways.19 For a county road, contact the Hidalgo County Sheriff at (956) 383-8114.20

McAllen uploads its reports to the state system, so you can buy one from TxDOT.21 It costs $6, or $8 certified.22 Call (956) 681-2080 to ask if a McAllen Police report is ready.23 The report is only a start. It may name the company wrong or leave out the owner of the trailer, so compare it with your own photos.

How much insurance do trucks in McAllen need to carry?

  • For-hire carriers hauling regular freight across state lines: at least $750,000.24
  • Certain hazardous materials in bulk: at least $5 million.14
  • An ordinary Texas car policy: $30,000 per person.25

Those federal numbers apply only to the carriers the rule names. A truck that runs only inside Texas may fall under other limits. Find out who owned the tractor, who owned the trailer, who hired the driver and who loaded the freight. In the Valley, one load can pass through several companies.

What if a City of McAllen truck hit you?

A garbage truck or street crew truck brings a shorter clock. Texas law gives a city notice within six months, and a city rule can shorten it.26 We could not confirm whether McAllen shortens it, so call Risk Management at (956) 681-1410 and ask.27 You can file online or use the Spanish form, Aviso de Reclamo.2829

What should you ask a truck accident lawyer in McAllen?

  • Have you handled crashes under the federal trucking rules?
  • Will you send a letter this week asking the company to save its logs and truck data?
  • If the truck came across the bridge, who can we hold responsible on this side?
  • How does Texas's 50 percent fault rule affect my claim?30

Questions

How long do I have to sue after a truck accident in McAllen?

Generally 2 years.4 A claim against a city needs notice within six months at most.26

Can a semi drive on my street in McAllen?

Not unless the street is signed for trucks or the truck is on an allowed stop such as a delivery.12

Who pays if an 18-wheeler hits me in McAllen?

Often the driver's employer or its insurer, but it depends on who owned the truck and who was at fault. Texas law bars recovery if you are more than 50 percent at fault.31

Where can I see McAllen truck crash numbers?

TxDOT lists 597 commercial vehicle crashes in Hidalgo County in 2025.9

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McAllen

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Sources

  1. City of McAllen Code, § 102-201 to 102-203, Truck Routes, checked 2026-11-08. “All state-maintained roadways are hereby designated as truck routes, unless signed otherwise. Truck traffic on city-maintained roadways is prohibited, unless signed otherwise.”
  2. City of McAllen Code, § 102-201 to 102-203, Truck Routes, checked 2026-11-08. “strictly for the purposes of pickup or delivery to specific locations, or to obtain service, repairs, lodging or fuel in the normal course of business”
  3. 49 C.F.R. § 395.8(k)(1), checked 2026-11-08. “A motor carrier shall retain records of duty status and supporting documents required under this part for each of its drivers for a period of not less than 6 months from the date of receipt.”
  4. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 16.003, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than two years after the day the cause of action accrues”
  5. City of McAllen Code, § 102-201 to 102-203, Truck Routes, checked 2026-11-08. “manufacturer's rated gross vehicle weight exceeding 10,000 pounds, and is not intended to include those trucks commonly known as pickup trucks”
  6. City of McAllen Code, § 102-201 to 102-203, Truck Routes, checked 2026-11-08. “shall immediately thereafter return to a designated truck route by the most direct means practical”
  7. Pharr-Reynosa International Bridge, Truck Crossing Comparison, checked 2026-11-08. “TOTAL TRUCK CROSSING 688,876 703,991 15,115 2.19%”
  8. City of McAllen, Anzalduas International Bridge, checked 2026-11-08. “Southbound Empty Commercial Trucks”
  9. TxDOT, 2025 CMV Involved Crashes and Injuries by County, checked 2026-11-08. “Hidalgo 3 4 15 18 64 94 106 159 396 1,946 13 62 597”
  10. City of McAllen, Vision Zero Action Plan (August 2024), checked 2026-11-08. “Freight 409 1”
  11. City of McAllen, Vision Zero Action Plan (August 2024), checked 2026-11-08. “(interstates are excluded)”
  12. City of McAllen, Vision Zero Action Plan (August 2024), checked 2026-11-08. “nighttime conditions are overrepresented in FSI crashes, particularly for pedestrian and freight crashes”
  13. City of McAllen Code, § 102-201 to 102-203, Truck Routes, checked 2026-11-08. “(1) U.S. 83 Expressway between Jackson Road and Taylor Road. (2) Military Highway (F.M. 1016) between 10th Street (SH 336) and Taylor Road. (3) 10th Street (SH 336) between Military Highway (F.M. 1016) and the southern city limit.”
  14. 49 C.F.R. § 387.9, checked 2026-11-08. “(2) For-hire and Private (In interstate, foreign, or intrastate commerce, with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 or more pounds) Hazardous substances, as defined in 49 CFR 171.8, transported in bulk in cargo tanks, portable tanks, or hopper-type vehicles [...] 5,000,000”
  15. 49 C.F.R. § 395.3(a)(2)-(3), checked 2026-11-08. “(2) 14-hour period. A driver may not drive after a period of 14 consecutive hours after coming on-duty following 10 consecutive hours off-duty. (3) Driving time and interruptions of driving periods — (i) Driving time. A driver may drive a total of 11 hours during the period specified in paragraph (a)(2) of this section.”
  16. 49 C.F.R. § 390.15(b), checked 2026-11-08. “Motor carriers must maintain an accident register for 3 years after the date of each accident.”
  17. 49 C.F.R. § 382.303(a)(1), checked 2026-11-08. “As soon as practicable following an occurrence involving a commercial motor vehicle operating on a public road in commerce, each employer shall test for alcohol for each of its surviving drivers: (1) Who was performing safety-sensitive functions with respect to the vehicle, if the accident involved the loss of human life”
  18. TxDOT, 2025 Crashes and Injuries by Investigating Agency, checked 2026-11-08. “MCALLEN PD 10 12 40 55 620 905 866 1,614 1,032 4,916 62 241 2,630”
  19. Texas DPS, Highway Patrol Service, checked 2026-11-08. “responsible for general police traffic supervision, traffic, and criminal law enforcement on the rural highways of Texas”
  20. Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office, checked 2026-11-08. “711 El Cibolo Rd.”
  21. McAllen Police Department, Police Records, checked 2026-11-08. “Our crash reports are uploaded to this system.”
  22. TxDOT, Crash reports and records, checked 2026-11-08. “$6 for a regular copy. $8 for a certified copy”
  23. McAllen Police Department, FAQ, checked 2026-11-08. “inquiry on the status of your report at (956) 681-2080”
  24. 49 C.F.R. § 387.9, checked 2026-11-08. “(1) For-hire (In interstate or foreign commerce, with a gross vehicle weight rating of 10,001 or more pounds) Property (nonhazardous) $750,000”
  25. Tex. Transp. Code § 601.072(a-1), checked 2026-11-08. “(1) $30,000 for bodily injury to or death of one person in one collision; (2) $60,000 for bodily injury to or death of two or more persons in one collision, subject to the amount provided by Subdivision (1) for bodily injury to or death of one of the persons; and (3) $25,000 for damage to or destruction of property of others in one collision.”
  26. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 101.101, checked 2026-11-08. “not later than six months after the day that the incident giving rise to the claim occurred”
  27. City of McAllen, Risk Management, checked 2026-11-08. “1300 Houston Ave. City Hall - 1st Floor McAllen, TX 78501 (956)681-1410”
  28. City of McAllen Risk Management, Submit a Claim, checked 2026-11-08. “Property Damage Personal Injury”
  29. City of McAllen Risk Management, Aviso de Reclamo, checked 2026-11-08. “Daños a la Propiedad .. Lesiones Personales”
  30. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001, checked 2026-11-08. “a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent.”
  31. Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code § 33.001, checked 2026-11-08. “a claimant may not recover damages if his percentage of responsibility is greater than 50 percent”

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