When you receive a commercial driver’s license (CDL) traffic ticket, you should always consult a traffic attorney before you pay the fine.
A paid fine for a CDL traffic ticket could mean fewer job opportunities, or you might have to take less than the ideal rate for the three years the conviction will stay on your Pre-employment Screening Program (PSP) record.
The larger firms that pay more per mile and provide additional benefits to their drivers are worried about their fleet insurance premiums. A high Safety Measurement System (SMS) percentile will lead to more roadside inspections.
In fact, any firm with a percentile above 74 will get pulled into every weigh station and open roadside inspection. This intervention can be a double-edged sword for many firms because more inspections likely mean more Compliance, Safety, and Accountability (CSA) severity points.
Although it might not be immediately apparent to everyone, a stop and inspection could take 30 minutes or more depending on the number of trucks and inspectors. That’s 30 minutes out of the driver’s day and 30 minutes that they are not rolling toward their delivery location.
With traffic and the DOT FMCSA Hours of Service (HOS) rules, those delays could lead to a missed deadline for delivery. There is almost nothing a fleet manager dislikes more than a missed delivery, except a CDL traffic ticket that leads to a conviction for a moving violation by one of their drivers.
What Are the Most Common CDL Traffic Tickets in Placer County, CA?
Like most other counties in CA, the most common CDL traffic ticket in Placer County is speeding. Speeding is the most common traffic ticket across CA, the USA, and probably worldwide.
After speeding, CDL holders get ticketed for unsafe lane changes, following too closely (though these are typical because a four-wheel vehicle cut back in too soon), illegal cell phone use, illegal U-turns, red light tickets, and more.
Whatever the cause of a CDL traffic ticket, the CDL holder should always consult a traffic ticket attorney before paying the fine. A knowledgeable and experienced traffic attorney can spot a speed trap or easily dismissed ticket.
What’s more, because they spend so much time in traffic court, they know which law enforcement officers (LEO) don’t usually come to trial. This no-show is rarer than you would think because they get paid overtime for many court appearances. They regularly appear in front of the judges and see how they usually rule on various CDL traffic tickets, and who accepts a plea deal (not all do).
What many drivers fail to consider is that all a traffic attorney needs to do is raise the level of doubt so that the judge has a “reasonable doubt” about your guilt. The standard is the same in traffic court as in a criminal trial—“Guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Do not risk your livelihood by simply paying the fine. The fine is only a small percentage of the actual price in almost every situation. For a commercial driver, it could mean the end of a career.
Bigger & Harman Resolve CDL Traffic Tickets in Placer County Traffic Court
When you receive a CDL traffic ticket on I-80 in Placer County, call Bigger & Harman (661) 349-9300.
We use a fixed rate to resolve your CDL traffic ticket, so it doesn’t matter how many hours we spend on your case. You only pay that fee.
Se habla Español (661) 349-9755.
Email: attorney@biggerharmanlaw.com.
References:
The DMV Portal CA Commercial Driver Handbook Copyright 2022.