The scene: Night court in one of the many municipalities along the New Jersey Turnpike. Once again truckers and trucking company reps from all over the Eastern seaboard are standing in line and patiently waiting their turn to see the prosecutor. Why? They have received summonses that they cannot pay through the mail or at the violations bureau window.
For the most part, the New Jersey State Police enforces trucking safety regulations. In its infinite wisdom, the New Jersey Legislature has decided that when the police write equipment safety summonses, the defendant must appear in court. That is, even if the trucker wishes simply to admit the violation and pay a fine, he or she cannot.
So instead of earning money while moving cargo, good truck drivers - the majority of whom have had no moving violations - are standing in line at court.
The legislature needs to change the rules to allow truckers to pay by mail or on the Internet or at a convenient time at the violations bureau. Until common sense prevails, truckers and trucking companies can save fine money and valuable time by contacting Howes & Howes for an efficient, cost-effective approach to these summonses.
