A truck driver, along with his company, has been found guilty of hauling an overweight load in Long Beach, California without the required permits. According to the police report, the load was 10 tons more than the legal limit.
Driver Guadalupe Martinez faces up to six months in jail on the misdemeanor charge as well as roughly $20,000 in total fines. His employer, Martinez Trucking and Logistics, can also face similar fines.
Martinez was stopped last year while hauling an 88,600 pound load, 20,000 lbs. more than the 67,500 lbs. his vehicle was certified for. He was hauling a wide load, which he had a legal permit for.
His lawyer argued that his wide load permit should also allow him to haul more than the normal legal weight, but his arguments were shot down.
The city prosecutor who handled the case, Stephanie Dowds, gave the following response when asked about the ruling: “Our goal is to ensure the safety of innocent drivers who have to share the road with trucks. All drivers need to follow the rules of the road, and truck drivers are no exception,”
The sentencing for both Martinez, and his company, is scheduled for February 18th.
