The High Cost of Oversized or Overweight Vehicle Tickets
Operating an overweight truck along I-80 in Truckee, CA, on the Donner Pass in Nevada County can lead to a hefty fine, potentially costing you as much as $1 per pound overweight.
Imagine a 4,000-pound overweight load resulting in a nearly $4,000 fine. These fines can be crippling for independent owner-operators and small trucking firms.
Legal Help for Overweight Truck Tickets
If you receive an overweight truck ticket in Nevada County, appearing in Truckee Courthouse might be necessary to resolve the ticket.
To navigate the legal process effectively, consider consulting an experienced and knowledgeable traffic attorney who frequently defends commercial drivers here and knows the court personnel and procedures.
Preventative Measures: Permits for Oversized Loads
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) manages permits for oversized or overweight vehiclestraveling within the state.
While fleet managers typically handle permits, owner-operators hauling potentially oversized or overweight cargo should proactively contact the Caltrans Transportation Permits office. Their website offers clear instructions for obtaining single-trip or repetitive-trip permits, even for those unfamiliar with the process.
Understanding Weight Limits
CA Vehicle Code (VC) Section 35550 (a), Axle Limits, provides notice to drivers:
“The gross weight imposed upon the highway by the wheels on any one axle of a vehicle shall not exceed 20,000 pounds and the gross weight upon any one wheel, or wheels, supporting one end of an axle, and resting upon the roadway, shall not exceed 10,500 pounds.”
Likewise, CA VC Sections 35550 – 35796 examine oversized commercial vehicles and road restrictions depending on maximum vehicle weights for bridges and roads.
Weigh Stations and Compliance
When operational, California Highway Patrol (CHP)-regulated weigh stations are mandatory stopping points for commercial vehicles.
“A commercial vehicle is a motor vehicle of a type required to be registered under this code used or maintained for the transportation of persons for hire, compensation, or profit or designed, used, or maintained primarily for the transportation of property.”— CA VC Section 260 Definitions.
These commercial vehicles could include U-Haul or Ryder rentals. If unsure about stopping requirements, err on the side of caution. Failure to stop as required and necessitating CHP intervention can result in additional penalties. For many commercial vehicles, it could be a misdemeanor crime to pass an opened weigh station.
Public Weigh Stations as a Resource
There are several public weigh stations on the Nevada side of I-80. While using these stations might incur a small fee, it's significantly cheaper than the hefty fines associated with overweight truck violations.
Download our e-book, Protecting Your Commercial Driver License.
Contact Bigger & Harman About Resolving Your Oversized or Overweight Vehicle Ticket in Truckee Courthouse
Call Bigger & Harman, APC, at (661) 349-9300 — use our contact form to send a picture of your ticket/violation or email attorney@biggerharmanlaw.com.
Se habla Español (661) 349-9755.
References:
CA VC Section 260 Definitions.
CA VC Section 35550 (a), Axle Limits.
The Caltrans Permit Page.
The DMV Portal CA Commercial Driver Handbook.