It’s Time to Schedule Your Watermelon Harvest Vehicle Inspection

It’s Time to schedule your watermelon harvest inspection

Valerie Connelly, Executive Director

As you prepare your farm for the harvest season ahead, we want to make sure you include your equipment – particularly your harvest transport equipment – in the preparations.   If you use converted school buses or other temporary hauling vehicles to move your watermelons from field to packing shed, you may need the Maryland Temporary Hauling Vehicle Tag authorized specifically for that purpose.

Temporary Hauling Vehicle tags issued for converted school buses used by farm employees or the employees of a migrant worker contractor, require special pre-harvest safety inspections.  The Level 1 safety inspection must be conducted by the Maryland State Police.  There are also certain operating conditions that determine if the vehicle qualifies as an “exempt” farm vehicle or must meet “for-hire” vehicle operating rules.  Make sure you know the difference before you put your products on the road!  To schedule your visit with MSP, contact:

            Delmar Weigh & Inspection Facility

            (Dorchester, Wicomico, Worcester or Somerset)

            Sgt. M.E. Johnson or Cpl. T.H. Hobbs

            (410) 548-5186

            Cecil Weigh & Inspection Facility

            (Caroline, Talbot, QA, Kent & Cecil)

            Sgt. W.W. Santmyer or Cpl. P.L. Nickerson

  (410) 275-2745

Maryland Farm Bureau, the Mar-Del Watermelon Association and the Maryland Department of Agriculture have been working with the Maryland State Police to keep you informed and to streamline the inspection process.  Our goal is to help growers prepare in advance so you can avoid transport delays and costly citations during harvest, when the MSP will enforce the vehicle safety laws to protect everyone using the roadways.