It’s easy to shrug off a traffic ticket as just an annoying fine to pay. Maybe it stacks on some time taking a safe driving course or some calls to the court to find out a more convenient way to pay. You might wonder how it will look on your record. How long ago did you get that last ticket? You paid that one too, right? It’s probably okay.
Except it’s not okay. Because just one ticket can hurt a commercial truck driver significantly. Here’s what really happens.
IF YOU PAY THE TICKET:
- The court finds you guilty.
- The DMV puts the conviction on your record.
- Your insurance will raise your rates or drop you.
- Your carrier might reprimand or even fire you.
- Your record will make you less hire-able by other carriers.
- Is this ticket one of several you’ve gotten and paid? You might lose your license.
IF YOU FIGHT THE TICKET ON YOUR OWN:
- You take time off work to go to court.
- You face a prosecutor, judge, and officer witness who don’t like truck drivers.
- You may not know your rights or options in court.
- The judge will likely give you a guilty sentence.
- Or a reduced fine that doesn’t actually change the ticket on your record.
- You’ve spent a lot of time and money on a low chance to win.
IF YOU GET AN ATTORNEY BY YOURSELF:
- Without knowing what attorneys usually charge, you may get scammed.
- You don’t have any outside guarantee the attorney will do their best.
- Or even if they’re the best fit for your ticket. How often do they work for truckers, anyway?
- If the attorney goes to court for you, how will you get updates on the case.
IF YOU GOT A SAFETY INSPECTION WITH THIS TICKET:
- It will go on your DOT record and put points on your carrier’s DOT score.
- You might get fired because of the carrier’s score.
- Your DOT record will also make you less hire-able.
For commercial truck drivers, tickets can quickly become a no-win scenario. If they don’t get the right help at the right time, a ticket can put their entire career in the fire. The “cost” of a ticket is more than the court fine. It’s invisible hours off work or unable to get a job. It’s doubled insurance rates, license suspension fines, and inflated attorney fees.
Truckers need to protect themselves against tickets because a ticket can be extremely costly. Now, more than ever, it’s important to keep your record clean. Freight volume is low across the industry, which means higher competition among drivers to stay in service for carriers.
The best way to stay protected is with a trustworthy legal service that knows the stakes, goes the distance for truckers, and gets results. CDL Legal is first in the industry in court wins and customer service. We don’t just take on tickets and hope we can win. No, we have a network of dedicated, proven attorneys and a team of CDL and CSA experts that work hard for every ticket, every trucker. If you need protection against tickets and DOT inspections, please call us.
CDL LEGAL | 913-738-4836 | protect@cdllegal.com
