The fact is this: At some point over your professional truck driving career, you’re going to either get a ticket or have an officer of the law questioning you about something. Few truck drivers have never got one for one reason or another.
Still, many say a lot of these tickets might not be deserved. It isn’t just truck drivers that talk about quotas and targets, existing not as part of the supply chain or someone in a passenger car, but rather a potential revenue target.
Could it be that officers around the country are more beholden to their logbooks than to fair treatment of those on the road? Is this about a radar reading or an entry into a logbook?
Today’s rules mean that if you get a ticket that might have been given fairly, you know that in paying the fine, you are tacitly admitting guilt. No matter what you do, you know that this ticket will now remain a part of your record for – at the minimum – the next few years of your career.
In some cases, the problem goes far beyond a mere ding on your record. Considering employers are required to keep an annual motor vehicle record (MVR) on record, a conviction could be grounds for losing your job.
Also, consider that your MVR is used when the insurance company decides what rate you should pay. With most companies going back three years, claims or moving violations can result in a big increase. In some cases, if you aren’t paying a ton, you may not qualify at all for insurance.
So, with all this gloomy news out there, what’s truck driver to do? Don’t worry, here at the Quick TSI blog, we’ve got the inside scoop.
Prime Examples
There are a number of ways a state trooper might decide now’s the time to give you a citation. One situation would be in the case of a backed-up scale. If there isn’t room on the shoulder, should you pull over?
Blowing the scale could result in Trooper John Doe giving you a ticket for something, whether your justification for blowing the scale was legitimate or not. After all, remember those revenue targets?
For young drivers, a situation like this could wind up debilitating their career. For an experienced driver, that next big promotion or employment opportunity could wind up circling the drain.
Another situation could be would-be scammers, motorists who intentionally allow themselves to come in contact with your rig just to try and get a big lawsuit payday.
If there is no one else to witness the incident, could it be that the way the whole thing went down is all a big lie? How would an operator get out of such a ticket? Fortunately, there are ways.
Contesting Tickets
Could it be as simple as contesting a ticket that you don’t agree with? Many truck drivers say yes. Though many can do so without a lawyer, employing one certainly increases your chances of overturning the violation.
One such method is through a service called Drivers Legal Plan. This national service is dedicated to helping truckers clear their names and maintains a countrywide database to do so.
Another popular option would be Road Law, which comes with a retainer fee, but will represent truckers in cases where the violation is a bit more than just questionable.
Whatever you do, if you get a ticket you disagree with, don’t just let it potentially ruin your career. There are ways to fight it and you never know, you just may win and wind up in the free and clear.