Recently, there has been an increased presence of law enforcement on many of Connecticut's roads that are heavily traveled by trucks. Police officers on the local, state and federal highway levels are all on the look out for overweight trucks that they claim are causing costly damage to roads and creating an unnecessary hazard to other vehicles. By conducting roadside safety checks, including weight and safety inspections at various checkpoint locations, or pulling a truck over and using portable equipment though, many people believe this new ticketing trend is nothing more than a tactic to raise much needed revenue for the state.
At Mark M. Kratter, LLC, we defend truck drivers who operate small and large trucks throughout Connecticut. Located in Norwalk, we serve people throughout Fairfield County, including the communities of Norwalk, Stamford, Greenwich, Westport, Redding, Wilton, Ridgefield, Darien, Weston, Fairfield, Danbury, Stratford, Monroe, Newtown, Bethel, Danbury, New Canaan, Easton and Bridgeport. If you are facing an overweight truck violation offense, contact us today to learn more about how we can help you during a free initial consultation.
Calculating Truck Weights
Currently, Connecticut law determines whether a truck is overweight by establishing the maximum gross weight and axle weight limits for various configurations of trucks or vehicle-trailer combinations. This calculation takes into account the number of axles, axle spacing, and, in some cases, wheelbase, which is the distance between the first and last axles.
Overweight Truck Assessments and Fines
A vehicle cannot exceed its maximum gross or axle weight limits unless it has a special overweight Department of Transportation (DOT) permit. These permits are given only under certain conditions and usually contain special restrictions on the vehicle. If you are found to be in violation and your vehicle is deemed overweight, the fine assessed to you and your vehicle is based on an incremental fine schedule that is determined by figuring out a vehicle's percentage over the legal weight limit. A fine can be applied to gross vehicle weight violations and axle weight violations. As the percentage overweight increases, the fines increase and these fines are known to add up very quickly.
Citations for an overweight violation offense may be issued by specified state police, local police, and Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) inspectors. Overweight fines are enforceable through the criminal courts by prosecutors.
Aggressive Overweight Violation Defense
Our Norwalk overweight truck defense lawyers represent individual drivers as well as the companies that employ them and often pick up the cost of the fines. We can negotiate to have the fine reduced or even seek to have it dismissed if the police did not have sufficient cause to pull the driver over or did not conduct a proper investigation.
In certain situations however, a simple licensing ticket turns into a more serious offense, such as reckless driving or DUI, resulting in the driver losing his or her driving privileges and potentially facing a CDL suspension or disqualification. In any case where a truck driver is unable to perform his or her job due to a suspended license or safety offense, our experienced Connecticut overweight truck fine defense attorneys are quick to act to ensure that the matter is handled efficiently. Our goal is to protect the driver so he or she is able to return to work quickly.
Call for a Free Initial Consultation
Contact our office today to discuss your situation, legal needs and concerns. We are available during regular business hours and by appointment in the evenings. You can reach us by phone at 866-LAWS4CT (529-7428), locally at 203-678-8135 or via e-mail.
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