An OTR driver who mistakenly drove on roads and bridges that he was far too heavy for has been issued the colossal fine of $40,000. The man, Ken Green, was driving his 232,000 pound rig along side streets in Washington State when it broke down along the side of the road. When state troopers showed up on the scene, they realized that Green must have driven over roads that a vehicle of his size would have needed permits for – including a bridge with a maximum weight limit of 105,000 pounds. When they added up all of the violations, the grand total came out to over $40,000.
According to Green, the permit service usually has a phone number to call in order to receive permits when driving through certain counties that have restrictions on their roads, but there were no phone numbers to call for any of the three Washington State counties that he had driven through. Green took this as a sign that there would be no problems with running his rig alone less crowded side roads.
When asked by an interviewer whether he thought the incident was the permit company’s fault, he replied, “we think so, we’re not sure but we think so.”
The $40,000 fine, the largest the Sheriff’s Office has ever seen, has been issued to Green personally. He will have 15 days to pay or contest it.
Next Story: Govt. Sues Carrier For Fraudulent Military Cargo Invoices
Image Source: kirotv
Wow, well, I’m not a heavy hauler, so I guess this would not apply to me, but still, wow. At least those guys make tons of money. I’m not sure why he didn’t check with DOT before hand. I have to say overweight violations frighten me.
Ray…just wondering what makes you think that these guys make tons of money….there are far too many people who think that truckers…especially owner/operators are “made of money”….but I do agree with you that he should have checked with the DOT before hand…and the company he was hauling for should have been sure he had all the necessary permits for the route that had to be taken.
Actually, it’s just what I’ve heard. I’ve done no real research on it. I heard they get paid $5,000 – $10,000 per week.
yes but they also got to pay for fuel, maintenance, insurance, permits, plates, fuel taxes, highway use tax, repairs. yeah they make more than the average o/o but not enough that a 40k fine is chump change. I will make 5000 this week alone and after fuel truck payment expenses I will see about 2000 but remember I don’t get my income taxes taken out for me. I could also go out and blow a tire and right there is 500 dollars. could have my water pump go out and if I managed to get somewhere without being towed that is still an 1800 dollar job on my truck unless I happened to be home then it would be parts only but that’s still 900 some dollars.
I see, thanks.
$900-1800 for a water pump? What country do you live in? $600 tops, and that includes refilling the coolant.
$900 for a waterpump and $500 on a tire? whoa. must be getting those UK prices
Hell – I used to think the same about owner ops – boy was I surprised – I made more money as a company driver then a o/o — 40k ???? I would have to sell everything I own to pay part of that bill…. I feel for this guy……
LMAO Pays to READ your permits.
“Lmao pays [the government] to [not] read your permits.
Clearly you didn’t read the article. He knew he didn’t have permits for those roads. It saysin the article he couldn’t find any #’s for those counties.
That is B.S. when my brother and I would be offered a O.D. (Over dimentional) load the first thing we would do is plan the Rte and then check to see what the permits there and back would cost. Cus even empty with the jeep and pusher we would be overweight coming back. Then we would call broker or shipper back with a price.
Truck driving 101 you never go out of Rte and you never ever cross a bridge you are one pound to heavy for. That has nothing to do with the permit company. That is just dumb!
Exactly, a lot here doesn’t add up
You got it brother
Yup the permits probably ran him way out of route so he figured he would old school it and take his chances. Heaviest I pulled was the other day at 145k even that lite I couldn’t venture off the interstate.
Every time I get an OD load my permits tell me exactly where I need to go. When you apply for the permit, you provide the height, width, length, weight, tractor, trailer, shipper address, consignee address, dates and time of travel, etc.
The DOT issues a permit with the EXACT route you’re to take and any restrictions that apply to your movement (daytime only, escort vehicles, lighting and marking requirements, etc.) If you don’t follow your route then your cited for violating the permit, the permit is revoked, you usually get a fine, and you have to purchase another permit.
Ether he didn’t want to pay for the permit to pocket more money or he’s new to this and spent $40k on getting educated. If he had pilot cars, they usually know the requirements too and should have at least mentioned them.
As far as not knowing, DOT won’t buy ignorance, especially in light of having a bridge taken out with an OD load in Washington.
Things like this make it harder for those who do follow the rules.
That’s what the hell the rookie gets. It’s not all about reading the permits either they can be wrong. Better get a permit scale book an that atlas then you can’t go wrong
Wait until the consume damaged bridges estaments this could get really ugly !
So how does a heavy hauler like this get on roads they are not supposed to be on? Bad planning? Where is their escort? Lot of questions but very little answers in this story.
I aggree John S! Maaan i wouldnt move that rig without escorts…permits…route plans. Yeah somethings not all here in this story!
I have been there dun that. My first company out of DeSoto Tx made me take an oversize from L.A. to Mass. Either take the CHEAP oversize or sit. I told them I had NO experience at osize. I read the permits close.There were a lot of gray areas so it was the officer’s interpretation. The fines took all my profits and the company got fined for not giving me the proper paperwork. They took their fine out of me and then added 10%forME using their money. Need less to say. DeSoto Tx has 1 less truck running for them.
They must b crazy $40,000 this has got to b the only job where you get taxed for mAkeing mistakes. The government is out of control.
When you haul that type of equipment you better make sure you are legal,proper paperwork,phone numbers,escorts, and a police escort in some instances, you never leave without any of it,I’m an ex heavy hauler, good money,but to much paperwork and a whole lot of waiting,sorry to say this but I find this driver error, this person should never be allowed to haul this again, hate to be in his/her shoes, no excuse for this
I agree. He should see this as heavy haul school fees. He clearly failed this examination…..
I have failed some too, and I will admit to it. But NEVER make the same mistakey twice, I’d say.
I appreciate what you have to say Robert. I would think any driver that hauls permit loads should know better than to plan a route through unknown possibly non-permit-able area, let alone deviate from an approved route.
I pull doubles these days and I would not consider taking the set where it would be suspect to restriction, especially if I have haz-mat on board.
“Know your Load, Know your Road!”
Sounds like alot of big company drivers posting
What does that have to do with anything?
This was 100% preventable. This wasn’t some mistake made mid-route. He made conceous decision to drive on the side roads with out proper trip planing.
He should’ve never left the lot.
Well said, and I’m owner operator, sounds like he trying to get by without buying permits and got caught.
No escort? Here, any load like that needs a front and rear escort who have the route planned in advance in order to remain compliant. Oh well. Different rules in different places.
I see an escort truck parked ahead of the tractor in the pic. They probably decided they could save a few miles by changing their route.
I saw a low-bed last year that caused irreparable damage to an overpass with his load. The only other route through to where I suspect he was going would have been about five miles longer.
That overpass has since been replaced with a higher clearance, at his company’s cost I presume.
Gator I didn’t see anywhere in the story where it said he was a Rookie. Sounds to me like he did the right things, except follow the route on the permit it self. No Driver deserves a statement like yours, So get down off your high horse. He works for a living dose he not?
So just because someone “works for a living” they can ignore ordinances and dump chemicals in the river behind their shop, or add newspaper to dogfood. C’mon, that’s no escuse. How much stress could he have put on that bridge? How much did he shorten its life span? A weight rating is there for a reason. If there’s no permit office, call the local cops.
Does anyone wonder if the permit issuer failed to include a travel route, as most I have been issued dictate the travel route, therefore making the permit office liable for this mistake.
Washington state always gives u a prefer route, you are to make sure that route is safe. I speak from experience .
Wow bet he don’t try to save money with out a permit for a while
Hmmm … not to get nit picky guys but it doesn’t say he actually had a permit so I would suggest a statement like he should have contacted state patrol or some county sheriff’s. Sometimes I think ignorance should be a valid defense. This being a grey area.
Bottom line is it is always the driver who is responsible. He is lucky he was not in North Dakota Oil country. His truck would of been impounded and he would be in jail looking at a six figure fine.
The man driving the truck is a ‘human being’…..Since when should a person just trying to work a job be fined $40,000??
People that get DUI’s….Arrested for Felonies…..Dont have $40,000 fines
Unless you murder someone
Just goes to show why nobody wants to drive a truck anymore………..You go to work “Hoping” that your not fined for anything….. Not a way to live….
And for those trhat are about to say ‘Find another job”……Are part of the problem and not a solution……
this Poor guys life is ruined ASSUMING he just made a mistake on the wrong road……Unacceptable behavior by states looking for revenue
He didn’t have a number to call so he just assumed it would be OK to go over a bridge that was rated for less than half his weight? That doesn’t really fly.
first off the entire load of weight wasn’t probably ON the bridge all at once, so this reduces the weight limit to axle weight.Yea, he should have gotton permits, but any way the govt can make money is what they are after.It seems the load may have been headed to a large electrical substation not always located in the middle of town on court house square.like cell towers, you may see a truck and a crane on a dirt road in the middle of nowhere setting a tower.
he said he had a permit
that was in the storie
if he was off route or not
if he was off route then to bad for him
if he was on route then there is going to be a fight
as for the bridge that was not rated high enought
the state or county would of had to of done an assesment based on the weight
and the configuration of the equipment hauling the load.
If that was not done then the state is also at fault.
Sounds like a swift driver.I always check my routes
Why would they give the driver all those tickets. They didn’t catch him driving on those roads. He was pulled over on the side of the road. He wasn’t even moving. I don’t think he should have been issued the tickets after the fact. If I were him I would’ve just sat on the side of the road until I had gotten my permits.
How do you think he got to where he is parked????
A BIG OLE CHOPPER FLY HIM IN THERE AND DROP HIM OF
Debbie,
If all the roads to his location where not permitted, then he is off-route and is entitled to All fines.
In fact his pilot vehicle driver should be also fined for allowing this Dip-Stick to run where he had no place being!
Their next drive should be to a new job at the drive-thru window of a local fast food joint.
C’mon. He new what he was doing. To have a rig like that he was no rookie. He was tollway to call. I ran heavy haul. You shut down till you have proper permits! Fine is deserving.
Most roadways will post restrictions especially bridges, they should be posted far enough in advance to allow you time to reroute or call for help, worse case the posting is at the bridge. I feel for this driver but, even a map in the back pages will list restricted routes and bridges, that big of a load and the responsibility that it carries, is enough for any prof, driver to check and be sure. I wish him luck, but this should be made aware to all drivers so it may not happen again,.. Later
No state posts a 105k weight limit sign (except MO) nor should they have to. That’s what the permit is for.
Go to new York. Most of the Hudson river crossings in the lower Hudson valley have 105,000 weight limits. The bear mountain bridge, Newburgh beacon bridge, kingston rhinecliff bridge to name a few. Oh wait, they are 56 tons. That’s 106,000 pounds. I guess you were right.
56 tons = 112,000 pounds.
Actually, I was wrong. Most of them are 53 tons. Or does that make me right?
Driver fault hope the bridge don’t have damage driver is a idiot take his cdl
Come on,40,000,there is no way to turn that rig around,once you make a wrong turn,you may have to drive miles,just to find a place to turn around.GIVE THE GUY A BREAK I M SURE HE WAS LOST.ITS HAPPENED TO ME SERVERAL TIMES.
I imagine the guys that run those kind of rigs are not supposed “make a wrong turn”. That’s why they are to get permits and approved routes before the depart. I bet he has a truck specific GPS unit in the cab and knew exactly what he was doing.
When you consider he was more than twice the normal max, he ought to have waited to get things right. If I was wearing his shoes, I’d have asked myself the question “is there a bridge-too-small ahead? What could happen? While I’m not crazy about civil service, there actually ARE good reasons behind many rules.
Looks to me as there is an escort p.u. in front of the truck.driver and the escort and the truckng
company are all responsable.
There is a reason heavy haul pays more. First time in my 14 year career I contracted oversize and over weight Canada to Texas, last December. I was with experienced drivers and learned a lot. One important thing is… Don’t just read the permits, study them!
Some states require county ‘adendments’…SOME don’t…ie,OHIO will bang you for the same thing for simply exiting the highway…because the on/off ramps are owned bhem and are not part of the interstate..lol try and explain to a state employee in a permit office you need on for this ramp,that road for several hundred feet to the truckstoo BACK to the interstate…omg…its just about money…these…er….”drivers”… sound off …sounds like a jury of people who worked in a highrise and in all fairness,see it in print,and thinks the violation are a real,viable disregard for the law..geez…our industry is really getting mired…one more example…the state of Connecticut,NO TRAVEL statewide 4/6 pm…find me that on your permit..i have thousands more..just be careful when ya get a lynch party…it could happen to you..maybe not an o/d load…
A few phone calls and a few hours of planning this trip would have saved this driver $40,000.
Well unless your the driver or the one doing the permits none of us know the truth about the situation so all of this crap y’all are talking is just opinions! In none of this article did he put complete blame on the permit company!
I OD drivers making big bucks, thank our trucking publications that have done articles on some of them and making them out to be millionaires. I hope that the people don’t have to pay for his damages because of his stupidity. One final thing also, I was an owner operator and drove for companies also for 28 years until another drivers stupidity caused me serious injuries that ended my career.
All loads over 200 000 pounds are super loads in WASHTO region 1 states, EXCEPT Nevada, where it is 250 000 pounds. That means escorts, police escorts and a survey of the route.
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/NR/rdonlyres/EF9BD746-33DC-4A7F-A7FA-744897188D64/0/WASHTOGuide2009.pdf
Loads of this nature are not for amateurs.
The driver IS responsible-
like it or not.
Even if he wants to blame the permit company the state of WA will
just tell him that’s a different matter for a different court.
The driver IS ultimately the first responsible party.
The entire route MUST be planned,prepared&executed-
without flaw.
Oversize loads like this are not the same as hauling potato chips or ice cream sandwiches.
I wonder why his rig broke down-
did he run out of fuel?
I know that sounds hard but would you rather hear it from me or
the DOT?
Let it be a lesson to those of you who are thinking about taking on a more advanced form of trucking.
Well, I’m 65 and probably won’t drive commercial vehicles anymore…thank God…I don’t
know how many times I have been forced to take overweight loads where it’s against the law.
Between the $40k fine and the recent 20 year sentence for an accident, trucking is WAY too
risky. Many companies will ignore the hours limits and weight limits and let the driver take
the fall….or else no job….sad.
Trucking…..,.
Over hour fines, Over work fines, Overachievement fines, over sales fines, travel too far fines, Get it done too fast, too efficient use of time fines, if you work thru your Lunch hour Break fines…….
The only job in the world where overachievement is frowned upon!
When these are the requirements of the job! You get lost and manages to take a bull thru a china shop and don’t scratch a thing, hurt anybody, or crash into anything, like when you make that wrong turn, or drive to an address to find low bridges n such.
Yes it takes a hell of a person to be a Professional Trucker!
So Thanks to you! Thanks for every forced dispatch, rush hour traffic, wrong turn, middle finger, left lane to exit driving maniacs, traffic / parking fines and sacrifice you’ve already made succesful today!
THANK YOU!!! M Hitchcock. As an O/O heavy hauler with my own authority WE NEED a THANK YOU once in awhile to keep going & and make life a little easier. THANKS AGAIN. Be safe, make some money & get home often.
This does not add up. This is a serious oversize/weight load. I have hauled a lot in WA. It’s been many years but the permit specified roads etc. Something that size takes quite a lot of planning, you just don’t hook up and go. Either a total idiot or tried to pull a fast one and got caught.
If you go by the article …… seems like he tried to pull a fast one! An experienced driver knows better.
Surprised this wasnt Illinois. They are notorious for non posted weight limits. They put a friend of mine out of business with a $ 12,500 fine. He was one trailer weighing less than 80,000, on a road commonly travelled by trucks. He wasnt allowed to make payments either. Pay the bill or go to jail, end of story.
Wait! He drove over a Bridge that he was Double the max weight limit of? The fines arent done. Some dirty politician that hates truckers is gonna push for structural damages
Not saying what he did was right or smart. But, i got detoured on to a bridge in LA from a legal route due to construction. I was 15 tons overwieght but the wieght limit sign was attached to the bridge a mile down the road. No warning and I was stuck with only one way to go. I got lucky! Maybe I won’t be next time. However if they are going to detour us onto a restricted route there should be signs letting us know before we get into a situation we shouldn’t be in to start. That way we can stop and reroute onto a proper route.
There is a clear Eighth Amendment violation here, no? This screams 42 U.S.C. § 1983, no?
“Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.” (U.S. Const. amend. VIII) (Cornell LII, 2014).
“Every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of any State or Territory or the District of Columbia, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or other person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress, except that in any action brought against a judicial officer for an act or omission taken in such officer’s judicial capacity, injunctive relief shall not be granted unless a declaratory decree was violated or declaratory relief was unavailable. For the purposes of this section, any Act of Congress applicable exclusively to the District of Columbia shall be considered to be a statute of the District of Columbia.” (42 U.S.C. § 1983) (Cornell LII, 2014).
Erik.
We also have the constitutional right to overthrow the gov’t but, now they label you a terrorist and take your rights away. Now, you tell me who is the terrorist?
26 yrs for me and never had the urge to pull OS/OD. I have seen these loads pulled to many times and talked to enough professionals over the years to know something just ain’t right about the situation. $40,000 worth of not right according to the State of Washington.
Ok Mr. 8th amendment. I reckon it’s just ok to leave a taxpayer paid for bridge unusable for the local residents whenever you feel like it, or just sell the truck to pay the fine and pray you don’t get hit with bridge inspection/repair. But what the hell, a truck driver is never at fault….my bad.
What happened to the last bridge that collapsed in Washington state, just recently?, driver and state patrol response please??
boyyyyyyyyyy i dont buy this story. you dont get a permitted route before you leave? i,m thinking there is something not being told here. like a driver trying to make a buddle here on this load. and not paying for permits, and it bite him in the ass!!!!!! hey this is the stuff we have to do to make ends meet anymore>>>> but i,d never take a chance like this. an over size load like this on roads your not to be??? with out permits?? you may as well hang a sign on your truck stop me i,m running in violation….
He was referring to BeeRock’s post. A driver was supposedly fined $12,500 with ‘pay the fine or go to jail.” Hence the reference to the 8th amendment.
Next time read. There are no debtor’s prisons.
is this the actual picture of the rig. if so…..this guy is pleading felony stupid!
Some people make big mistakes like this, but just are fortunate enough not to get caught. This summer, one of our guys ended up taking the wrong bridge to a customer due to an unexpected detour.
He took a fully loaded super b full of fuel (63,500 kg or 140,000 lbs), across a bridge despite the ‘no trucks’ signs on the entrance. He also seemed to miss the ‘all trucks must turn here’ sign a block before the bridge.
I could just imagine the fines levied if that truck had collapsed the bridge and dumped all that fuel into the river. The company would have been sued into oblivion….all because one guy didn’t read the signs.
It would have been bad for the driver also.
How could he not know?
Trying to avoid permit fees?
Hope he did not damage any bridges or weaken any underground gas pipes or water lines.
I’d expect a professional to know better.
I haul quite a few oversize and over weight loads, if I don’t have a permit in my hands that truck doesn’t move.
Sounds to me like they got away with this before; This time the truck BROKE DOWN! That`s why they were caught. Definitely the driver and the hauling company are at fault.
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/CommercialVehicle/superload.htm
Maybe the driver should have spent a little time on the internet. This information above took me all of 2 minutes to find!
No excuse for the DRIVER to not do his homework on this one!
Even pulling a reefer load, my husband and I would check to make sure there were not any surprises along the way!
“…but there were no phone numbers to call for any of the three Washington State counties that he had driven through.”
I call BS. Tell me the 3 counties and I’ll get someone on the phone that will tell me exactly what’s required in terms of permits. Yeah, it may take some work, but anyone that plans a route knows that it’s not a job for lazy, half-wit drivers. The driver claims he assumed everything would be O-K. Uh, no. Honestly, how hard did you look? Everyone knows – ignorance is no excuse when it comes to the law.
I think the previous post calls the driver out. They tried to slip by, but the truck broke down. Now the driver feigns ignorance. “Oh, I didn’t know… thought it’d be o-k… couldn’t find a phone number!” BS.
your the master of your ship,quick easy money for him and his company if he not break down.
What’s so special about this? I received a $30, 000.00 ticket in November of 2007 for making a wrong turn in Muscatine, IA… D.O.T watched me make the turn and instead of helping me back up and get right he ticketed me. Same number of axles (13) as this, just different type of cargo. My fine was $30, 000.00, but my TVC lawyer pleaded it down to $15, 000.00…. Guess noone can make mistakes nowadays, without paying huge fines. I’m still paying on mine, by the way….
Without detailed signs posted outlining intent, oh wait the bridge had a sign on it, carry on.
better to charge the shipper the proper amount for the right permits and routing….cheap and easy just became felony stupid. You realize the county and state engineers will inspect everything on the route and he and his haul company will pay for damages for previous wear and tear on the route from previous traffic, what ever that may be.
I’m not a ‘heavy hauler’ either but if I was to have 232,000 pounds (I’m guessing that’s combined weight) that would be enough info right there that I would be asking lot’s of questions regarding permits before I started and I would have documented (recorded if possible) all of the responses I got from whomever.
I came upon a bridge recently that was a bad situation. I had a 53 foot empty and my only choices were to go over or try to back onto a semi major road with lots of speeding vehicles whizzing by.
It was a wooden bridge owned by a railroad company with a steep incline. The sign said 15 tons (30,000 lbs) max.
I checked the official weight of my tractor and the trailer and I was close to the limit. I really didn’t want to back out onto the busy road so sat there for about 20 minutes contemplating what to do.
Finally a lady in an SUV stopped and asked if I needed help. I told her my story and she said the bridge is pretty shaky and she advised going over even if my weight was OK.
She offered to stop traffic to let me back up.
I couldn’t believe it!
I wish I had gotten her name because she saved the day for me…..
Interesting article….Heavy duty fine!
The largest over weight UTC as a WSP Officer that I
issued was only $419.00. Times have changed alright.
I’v been driving OTR and regional for over 40 years 35+ years of that have been running 8 axle + oversize and over weight loads. There are times when the permits are bad routes. If that happens there are these things called telephones.
It seems to me this guy was trying to get away with something. That transformer looks really high and by going off route how did he not take down wires etc.
100% sorry to say it’s on the driver. It was stupid on his part not to ask questions and make phone calls
Did his escorts got any fines? I thought their job is to help the driver,and that includes finding the best and right lawfully route? Even if this guy owns his truck his company is still responsible for the oversized freight.
Some folks really should not comment when its obvious that they have no clue what they’re talking about. A mistake is a mistake no matter who’s at fault. I hope and pray for the best outcome for my fellow trucking brother and his family.
the state of washington has color coded maps and a list of curfews and off limit routes that are to be with your permit period somebody might have not wanted to pay for permits,avoiding scales etc. yuo do NOT get to this level of over size with out knowing the game