Border patrol still looking for the ultimate tough truck.

TUCSON, Ariz. -- If a manufacturer has built an off-road truck tough enough to withstand the punishment the Border Patrol inflicts on its vehicles, the agency would like to see it.

Agent Jim Hawkins, Tucson sector spokesman, said the Border Patrol has unique requirements for its trucks--they must be both rugged and fast--but no carmaker has come forth with a perfect vehicle yet.

"We have to have off-road capabilities for extreme off-road driving," said Hawkins. Some trucks are tough enough to take the punishment, but they aren't fast enough for the quick responses needed in law enforcement. "Very few production vehicles today are made to do that."

A quick look around the Tucson sector headquarters parking lot points to the many scenarios the agency encounters every day to carry out its mission of interdicting drugs and illegal aliens. At least 15 makes and models sit on the lot.

There are U.S.-made sports utility vehicles, jeeps, and humvees for patrolling on rough terrain. There are Dodge Chargers for high pursuit chases on highways. Light pickups have been adapted to transport detainees to detention centers. When the Patrol apprehends large groups attempting to cross the border, buses are called in.

Not seen on the lot are the dozen or so other conveyances the Border Patrol uses to carry out its mission. Horses, all-terrain vehicles and dirtbikes are used in the most inaccessible areas. Fixed and rotary-wing aircraft fly the skies. Agents use bicycles in border towns such as Nogales, Ariz., to patrol densely populated downtown areas. Boats ply rivers in Texas. Even dune buggies have been used in sandy areas such as Arizona's Yuma sector. If there is a means of transportation, the Border Patrol has probably used it at one time or another.

The terrain south of Tucson is an example of the rough conditions the Border Patrol encounters. Rocks, gullies and washed-out roads snap axels.

Hawkins recalled when a Detroit truck manufacturer sent a batch of its toughest SUVs to Tucson. Before long, they were coming back to the depot with cracked frames. The carmaker sent a team of engineers down to investigate.

"They were shocked at the conditions," Hawkins said.

Such trucks are normally tough enough to handle most off-road conditions, he noted, but the patrol needs speed as well for emergency responses.

When there's an incursion on the border, agents need to make it to the scene as soon as possible. Smugglers and border crossers don't always arrive on foot. They also come over in vehicles.

The half-dozen AM General humvees in Tucson adapted for law enforcement are a case in point, Hawkins said.

"They can go about anywhere you want as long as you don't have to move fast," he said. "Agents don't like them because they're wide, not very mobile and not very fast."

Border Patrol vehicles also suffer extreme wear and tear on the engines. During a typical day, there are frequent stop-and-go movements and the engines are running up to 18 hours.

National Guard mechanics participating in Operation Jump Start have taken the pres sure off the Border Patrol personnel. Only so many agents are detailed to the depots, so the influx has been welcome, Hawkins said. "Our vehicle turnaround for vehicle maintenance has gotten so much better," Hawkins said.

Guard mechanics spend their days repairing broken axles, busted tire rims, ruined suspension systems along with carrying out routine maintenance. Broken windshields and smashed headlights suffered when smugglers pelt Border Patrol trucks with large rocks are also common repair jobs, he said.