Scottsdale, AZ, October 10, 2013 -- Equipment and safety checks. Being taken out of service for hours. Watching as a police officer digs through the trash for gas and food receipts to prove that records are false. For over-the-road truck drivers with an Arizona CDL license, chances are drivers have either encountered these Arizona level 1 inspections or heard about someone who has. Hard-working truck drivers trying to earn a living and support their families are now being targeted by Arizona police officers.

Arizona Zeroes in on CDL Drivers

Commercial trucking is expanding in Arizona and many over-the-road drivers are utilizing Arizona’s roads to escape passing through California. Arizona DPS officers know this and are waiting to enforce Arizona’s laws. More and more, Arizona DPS officers are pulling over-the-road drivers off the road, taking them out of service for hours, running equipment and safety checks that are more stringent than any other state.

Police officers are able to pull over a commercial truck without probable cause. This means that while driving any commercial vehicle, an Arizona DPS officer can pull the driver over without needing a reason. Arizona police officers are looking for many different things when they take a truck out of service. They’re looking for hours of service violations, logbook violations, medical card records, equipment violations, over gross weight violations – all the common Arizona statutes and charges that truckers often face.

“We understand that it can be frustrating to be held up on the side of the road for hours during equipment checks, having your privacy violated by officers going through your personal belongings and trash cans looking for food and gas receipts that they can use against you for an Arizona CDL ticket,” said founding partner John M. Rhude, Esq.

“The fact of the matter is that if you have a CDL license and you drive for a living, you are a professional driver,” added Christopher P. Corso, Esq. “Your training skills and experience help to keep our roads safer. The attorneys at Corso & Rhude support the truck driving industry and are committed to providing excellent representation so that you can focus on getting back on the road.”

FMCSA Compliance Safety Accountability Program

Launched in December 2010, the FMCSA Compliance Safety Accountability (CSA) Program has been met with criticism. Nevertheless, the CSA program is in effect and is tracking commercial truck drivers across the county. One of the key components of the CSA program is the Safety Measurement System (SMS).

The SMS uses 7 safety improvement categories (called BASICs by the CSA) to examine a carrier’s on-road performance and potential crash risk. The BASICs include:

Unsafe Driving
Fatigued Driving (Hours-of-Service)
Driver Fitness
Controlled Substances/Alcohol
Vehicle Maintenance
Cargo-Related and Crash Indicator

The CSA program tracks drivers through a scoring system, with a graduated point system that assigns more points based on the severity of the infraction. Any offense can affect a points total, including something as simple as a marker light being out in the middle of the day. The points stay on a driving record for three years and are added as the driver receives them. Since the CSA program is public record, anyone can view driving points. This makes a driving record and points totals available to current and future employers.

CDLs and Speeding in Arizona

Arizona CDL speeding tickets and other moving violations can be catastrophic to a driving record and employment. Trucking companies look at all violations from the perspective that their insurance rates are going to go up. If an employer has to spend more money to insure a driver because of Arizona CDL tickets, it often times can be a breaking point for them, causing good drivers with years experience to lose their job.

Adding to the complexity of the issue is that many drivers are stopped for speeding along the Arizona/California border. We often defend Arizona CDL tickets that are issued in Yuma, Quartzsite and Kingman. Because California is one of only two states that still mandates a speed limit of 55 for commercial trucks, Arizona DPS officers know that Arizona CDL tickets will increase if they patrol the state’s borders.

Trucking companies that run large operations nationwide often times will let drivers go for getting a single ticket. Police officers statewide have recently concentrated their efforts on Interstate 10 and Interstate 40 especially along the New Mexico and California borders. Arizona CDL tickets are profitable for Arizona.

Arizona CDL Tickets are a Criminal Matter

All trucking violations are designated criminal misdemeanors in Arizona. Having a criminal record in most cases can result in loss of employment.

Under Arizona law, CDL drivers are not eligible for Arizona defensive driving school under any circumstances – even if their ticket was given to them while driving their personal vehicle. Corso & Rhude is well known for working with trucking companies throughout the United States. Whether you are an owner/operator, a driver, or an owner of a company with a driver that has been ticketed, Corso & Rhude can help.

Please contact the Law Office of Corso and Rhude today for a free consultation. To schedule a free consultation, please call (480) 471-4616. To schedule a free consultation, please visit www.corsorhude.com or call (480) 471-4616. The Law Office of Corso & Rhude, PLLC is located at 14500 N. Northsight Blvd., Suite 116 in Scottsdale, Arizona, 85260.

Contact:
Al Stevens
Law Office of Corso & Rhude
14500 N. Northsight Blvd., Suite 116
Scottsdale, AZ 85260
480-648-1770
[email protected]
http://www.crcriminallaw.com