Some Tulare and Kern County truckers may have found a little something extra in their stocking this past Christmas, after a judge ordered the retail giant to pay $54 million to a group of its drivers.

In the lawsuit, which originally demanded $74 million in damages, the plaintiffs argued that Walmart should pay truckers the minimum wage during their mandatory 10-hour layovers because they must stay near their rigs; Walmart paid its truckers $4.20 an hour during that period. For its part, the retailer insisted that it compensates truckers “in compliance with California law and often in excess of what California law requires.” One observer even characterized the action as a shakedown, and claimed that lawyers targeted Walmart because of the company’s size.

Walmart says it plans to appeal the judgment.

Trucker Traffic Tickets

Maybe these truckers can use some of their extra money to pay for the traffic citations they often receive along the Grapevine and some other high-use arteries that go through Central California. Some environmental groups basically want to take large trucks off the road, but since these efforts have been largely unsuccessful, the next best thing is to make trucking too expensive for most operators.

The topography of Central California, and the diverse laws in the Vehicle Code, make the entire Grapevine a prime area for trucker traffic tickets. At the Los Angeles/Kern County line, the truck speed limit drops, and CHP officers congregate just North of the “Kern County Line” sign to issue speeding tickets. Later, as the traffic gets heavier around Bakersfield, officers write lots of VC 22348(c) lane violation tickets, because it’s very hard to both stay in the designated lane and stay on schedule.

Getting Legal Help

The aggressive attorneys at Bigger & Harman, APC, are committed to giving individuals a voice when dealing with speeding and traffic tickets. Call today at 661-349-9300 or email attorney@markbigger.com to receive the personal professional attention you deserve. En español, llame al 661-349-9755.

Kern County truckers risk speeding tickets all along the Grapevine, and that means big fines and possible license suspension. To fight your ticket, call us.