The Trucking Law segment is a monthly feature on Overdrive, in which we pose commonly asked questions from truckers and owner-operators to legal experts. In this installment, attorney Brad Klepper dives into certain myths he hears from truckers to keep a traffic ticket off their MVR. Find all Trucking Law installments via this link.
In my practice, I’ve talked with thousands of truckers. More than I can count have bought into truckstop-counter logic about how to keep a traffic ticket from turning into a conviction or how to keep one off their motor vehicle record:
These supposedly clever tactics, as well as others, don’t work. Our legal system never forgets and virtually never makes a mistake in your favor.
A traffic conviction likely will end your chance of getting a safety bonus. It even will affect the cost of your personal automobile insurance.
What those convictions on your MVR do to your hiring potential is even worse. Who wants to hire a driver with a serious conviction or two on his MVR? All that means is the driver is just waiting on the next conviction to put him out of work for 60 days. What carrier wants to hire a driver whose bad record will prompt a higher insurance premium for the fleet?
In other words, it’s quite easy for traffic convictions to derail your career. Accordingly, you always should fight any citation or inspection violation that will hurt your MVR or impact you under CSA.
So instead of fighting by trying to game the system, ask yourself: To protect your MVR, would you be willing to take a day off to drive to the court, another day for the trial and another day to get back to your terminal? Would you give up the loads and the money? Would your company be willing to route you to the jurisdiction, having no idea how long your “day in court” will last? Would you research the laws you were charged with violating? Would you represent yourself before a judge or jury?
