The Railroad Commission of Texas had regulatory power of the commercial transportation of persons and property on state highways during the period covered by these records. Motor transportation activities were handled by the Motor Transportation Division. These records include inspection reports of motor carriers' certificates, inspections of railroad crossing warning equipment, valuation reports of the equipment of a carrier, monthly revenue and expense reports of carriers, reports on the amount of driving done during the month by each commercial driver, and reports of railroad accidents. Dates covered are 1929-1955, bulk 1936-1942. The Division inspected and maintained records to ensure adequate and safe transportation for the public. The enforcement and regulation activities of the Motor Transportation Division include the maintenance of rate and time schedules, inspections and patrols for adequate and safe accommodations and all other requirements for public convenience, the receipt of complaints from the public and from companies, and participation in trials in proper courts. Internal records kept by the Division to enforce its regulations include inspection reports, interlocker reports, monthly drivers' registers, motor carrier operating reports, valuation reports, and accident reports. Inspection reports list inspectors' findings of missing or expired licenses and certificates and violations of permits such as carrying too much weight or using the wrong route. Interlocker reports document inspections of the working order of warning equipment at railroad crossings. Motor carrier operating reports are forms sent to the Division by carriers that reported their monthly operating revenue and expenses. Monthly drivers' registers kept track of the amount of driving time commercial drivers put in each month. Valuation reports include the type, make, cost, and depreciation of each motor vehicle that a carrier operated. Accident reports list railroad accidents and not highway accidents unless it involved a collision between a train and a motor vehicle. This finding aid describes one series of the Railroad Commission of Texas records. See Railroad Commission of Texas: An Overview of Records (http://www.lib.utexas.edu/taro/tslac/20078/tsl-20078.htm) for more records series. To prepare this inventory, the described materials were cursorily reviewed to confirm the accuracy of contents lists, to provide an estimate of dates covered, and to determine record types.
