Often Encountered Rule Violations and Fines 

BAG (Bundesamt für Güterverkehr, Federal Office for Goods Transport) / BALM is authorized a traffic stop rights and to carry out a truck inspection. It involves stopping and checking German and foreign vehicles used for transportation of good and even regulating a traffic arrest. Often, during maintaining Road Control, BAG/BALM cooperates with the police, customs and business authorities.
Depending on the severity of violations discovered during the inspection, BAG/BALM inspectors take appropriate measures:

• issuing a warning to the driver;
• requesting financial collateral;
• prohibiting further movement;
• Fining the driver and requesting bail for future offenses.

Based on our experience of helping drivers, we’ll share with you would BAG/BALM inspectors fine drivers for most typically. Consider, how the police traffic stop works and list the real fine numbers that you can get if the Road Control finds serious violations.

Incorrect load securing/overloading

As far as police stop and search, BAG/BALM strictly adheres to the provisions of the European directives concerning stop and search and police legitimacy. Our advice? Always follow the DVI 2700 directive, and only then will you be safe on German roads.
In case of violations, BAG/BALM may apply the following sanctions:

1. penalty for overload: up to 2,500 euros;
2. a fine for incorrect fastening: from 60 to 480 euros + a requirement to provide additional fastening of the load with belts.

Violations related to documentation and improper packaging

And if after BAG/BALM police stop search and detects rule violations when it inspects the driver’s documents, documents for the cargo, or the vehicle when carrying out truck inspections, a fine of 300 to 1,000 euros may be levied. For the absence of the required documents, there is a fine of 50 euros, but not more than 1,000 euros. In the case of missing documents for the carriage of ADR goods, the amount of the fine is doubled.
In the case of improper packaging of goods, the fine may range from 800 to 3,000 euros, depending on the nature of the cargo. For these reasons, you may be stopped by the police. That is regarded as a legitimate activity.

Violations related to the vehicle and the method of transportation

If BAG/BALM detects a technical problem with a tractor truck or trailer, a fine of 200 to 3,000 euros may be levied. If violations related to the mode of transport are detected during the freight inspection, a fine of 1,000 to 6,000 euros may be imposed.
A fine of 800 to 10,000 euros may be imposed for loading, transporting and dispatching dangerous goods that are prohibited for transport.
Sanctions for exceeding the permissible level of noise and emissions

One of the priorities of BAG/BALM is protection of the environment, especially control of exhaust emissions from vehicles in trucks. If you are stopped by police and any violations are found, you will be obliged to pay a penalty. Manipulation of exhaust emissions can be punished with a fine of up to 20,000 euros.
Sanctions for violation of working hours (work and rest for drivers)

Fines start at 60 euros and increase depending on the severity of the violation. If the driver is involved in the transport of ADR goods, the fine rates are tripled for violations of working hours. If the traffic control finds a malfunction in the maintenance of the tachograph, the amount of the fine can range from 100 to 21,000 euros.

Summary

First, when leaving for the road, it is important to make sure that the vehicle is in order, as well as the documents for the truck and for the car.
Secondly, life is unpredictable, and if it so happens that a police vehicle stop has occurred for an inspection and found problems, immediately contact our experts for help. The amount of the fine for a violation can vary greatly.
In most cases, we help our clients develop the right kind of communication with BAG/BALM and resolve the issues on the spot, so they can get away with a warning or a small fine (for example, instead of paying 3,000 euros, they only have to pay 200 euros). The difference is significant, wouldn’t you say? We hope that from this article you learned more about the traffic stop rules on the road.
We are available around the clock and ready to help you. Call us at 49 977 5376 9999!