Commercial Drivers Traffic Ticket and CDL Moving Violations

A Commercial driver spends a lot more time on the road than the average American and more time on the road means more opportunity to commit a traffic violation. For CDL (commercial driver’s license) holders, a moving violation is just the beginning of the list of problems that can stem from just one traffic violation. Not only are insurance rates guaranteed to increase tremendously and remain increased for three years, but the high fines issued by the courts for a traffic ticket are added to their driving record. This could also result in suspension from work or even possibly termination of employment.

Hiring a Traffic Ticket Attorney may save thousands of dollars in insurance premiums or even the driver’s job. A commercial driver’s license holder is not just a ‘big rig’ driver on the interstate. Some are church bus drivers, school bus drivers, and various other vehicles such as those carrying hazardous materials. Traffic ticket laws affect everyone that posses a commercial driver’s license on the road. All violations a commercial driver receives, even if they are in a personal car, can result in the loss of their CDL. Many drivers exceed 100,000 miles per year. If they receive three speeding tickets in three years or 300,000 miles, their license will be suspended. Speeding 15 miles over the speed limit is a misdemeanor for commercial drivers. Even if the citing officer neglects to mark the citation as a misdemeanor, the court can see it as a misdemeanor and increase the fine which will also require a mandatory appearance. Truck drivers need to be aware of these regulations because it can impact their ability to earn a livelihood.

A citation for speeding, following too close, reckless driving, being overweight, over-length, or over-width, can put a CDL in jeopardy. With traffic violations changing and costing more and more, commercial driver’s license holders will need someone who is a subject matter expert and who knows the ins and outs of traffic violations for commercial drivers. Police officers sometimes misinterpret traffic laws because they are complicated and extremely detailed. If charged with a traffic ticket, a commercial driver will have assurance that the traffic ticket lawyer will do everything they can to get the results they deserve. The attorney can review the police officer’s notes to uncover flaws in the evidence against the commercial driver strengthening the defense and greatly improve the chances of having their driving records being unaffected by the traffic ticket they received.

CSA 2010 and Your Business

There has been a lot of buzz involving the CSA 2010 initiative and how it will effect drivers and companies involved in the trucking industry. CSA 2010 is the Comprehensive Safety Analysis, a new Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) safety program designed to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes. The purpose of the program is to enforce a new compliance model that will address safety deficiencies before they occur. The goal of the program is to implement a national system that makes the roads safer for motor carriers and the public alike.

Over the past few years, the rate of crash reduction has slowed, prompting FMCSA to take a fresh look at how the agency evaluates the safety of motor carriers and drivers and to explore ways to improve its safety monitoring, evaluation and intervention processes. CSA 2010 is the result of this comprehensive examination.

In order to maintain that motor carriers and drivers are complying with the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) a Federal or State Safety Investigator (SI) will conduct an investigation. Normally investigations are triggered because of a driver or carrier that has multiple FMCSA safety violations. The SI will determine appropriate follow-on interventions as well as discuss with the carrier how they might improve their operations so that their Safety Measurement System (SMS) scores will improve.

Carriers can prepare for CSA 2010 by keeping yourself and those in your company abreast of trends and changes to ensure compliance. The CSA 2010 website recommends the following:

• Check and update your records
• Visit the CSA
• Ensure your carriers compliance and take necessary steps to increase your drivers’ awareness