SC law enforcement still seeing squatted trucks after ban

SPARTANBURG, S.C. (WSPA) – It’s illegal to drive a squatted truck in South Carolina but law enforcement said they are still pulling over drivers in these kinds of trucks.

Drivers are given either a warning citation or a fine that escalates with each offense, and it could potentially lead to a license suspension.

“It’s a great thing it’s passed, I think it’s an awful decision for these people to do this on their trucks or vehicles,” said Jonathan Phillips, owner of JP Automotive in Spartanburg.

After working on trucks and cars every day for years, Phillips said he’s able to see firsthand why squatted trucks are not only unsafe, but can ruin a vehicle.

“It’s bad for the truck, transmission fluid gets to the back of that pan, most vehicles it’ll leak out the rear seal, you’ll run low, you’ll hit break lines in the rear,” said Phillips. “The lights are shining in the sky and not the road.”

He said their shop used to work on a decent amount of squatted trucks and before lifting each truck, he would advise them not to go through with it. Now, it’s no longer a choice for drivers after a new law was passed in November.

The grace period for the law ended in May, allowing law enforcement to distribute tickets.

“We have had a couple of people who have not fixed the issue who have been cited for it,” said Lt. Stephen McClure, special operations lieutenant for the Spartanburg Police Department.

Officials said a truck would be considered illegal if the front fender is raised more than 4 inches over the rear one. That can be measured through the center line of the vehicle. For the past few months now, officers said they have been working to educate drivers who are unaware of the law.

“Visibility is reduced, you can’t see over the hood if the hood is pointed up in the air, and also, you’re taking away the bumper of the vehicle, bumpers are called bumpers for a reason, when you’re lifting it up you have a possibility of what we call an override collision where the vehicle is actually going to go on top of a car so there’s a lot of reasons why it could be dangerous,” said McClure.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to WSPA 7NEWS.