In Illinois, most commercial truckers have strict guidelines that they need to follow or they can be issued citations like an overweight ticket. The transportation industry is one of the most heavily regulated industries in the state of Illinois. There are many laws and regulations that can come with very steep punishments for a Commercial Driver.
Truck drivers are often under extreme pressures to get large amounts of goods across the country in a short amount of time for the cheapest price possible. Oftentimes, a truck driver will carry a large cargo load because of these restrictions. A truck driver might not know that the road he or she is travelling on has a weight limit restriction and their load is overweight. Here is everything that you will need to know about overweight tickets in Illinois.
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Getting Pulled over for a Chicago Overweight Ticket
Under Illinois law 625 ILCS 5/15-112, “Any police officer having reason to believe that the weight of a vehicle and load is unlawful shall require the driver to stop and submit to a weighing.” A police officer has the choice to use a portable scale or they can require the driver to drive to the nearest available weight scale and determine if there is excess weight.
If the a law enforcement officer determines that your truck is overweight, the officer can require the driver to reduce the load of the truck until he lets the truck driver continue onto his route. If the truck driver is only overweight on the axles, the officer will typically require that the truck driver shift the load around in order to reduce the weight on the specific overweight axle.
The officer will then write a ticket for the amount of excess weight and then typically require the driver to post bond on scene before the driver is free to continue on to their route. Once you post bond for the violation, you can then go to court to contest the matter with a Chicago overweight ticket lawyer.
How much are overweight tickets?
According to 625 ILCS 5/15-113, a driver shall be fined according to the following:
- Up to 2,000 pounds overweight – $100 fine
- 2001 to 2500 pounds overweight – $270 fine
- 2501 to 3000 pounds overweight – $330 fine
- 3001 to 3500 pounds overweight – $520 fine
- 3501 to 4000 pounds overweight – $600 fine
- 4001 to 4500 pounds overweight – $850 fine
- 4501 to 5000 pounds overweight – $950 fine
- 5001 or more pounds overweight – $1500 for the first 5000 pounds overweight and $150 for each additional increment of 500 pounds overweight
Overweight tickets can end up costing a trucking company a large amount in overweight fines. It is not uncommon to receive an overweight violation for upwards of thousands of dollars.
Does an Overweight Ticket Go on Your Record?
No, an overweight ticket does not go on your driving record. An overweight violation is considered a business offense and is a fine only offense. You will not face a suspension for an overweight ticket.
How do I Fight an Overweight Ticket?
If you are faced with an overweight violation you could be facing some pretty serious fines. There are many ways to fight an overweight ticket in court. Remember that an officer needs to show that the scales that he used to weigh your vehicle were properly working and certified. Oftentimes, you may have a variance permit as well that allows you to fight the charges.
Our Chicago Traffic Lawyers have spent years in the courtroom fighting these overweight tickets. You always have options when it comes to commercial driving violations. Let us discuss your options with you and help you handle your case. If you need help with your overweight ticket or any other commercial driving issue, call a traffic ticket attorney in Chicago!