Truckie spared $11,200 fine for driving too many hours

A TRUCK driver who was caught having driven 1.5 hours over his maximum 14 hours in a day has been spared the maximum fine of $11,200.

A TRUCK driver caught driving more than his permitted hours in a day was risking a maximum fine of $11,210, Toowoomba Magistrates Court has been told.

Magistrate Graham Lee told Andrew Frederick Giltrow that driver fatigue was a serious danger which was why the penalties were so high.

Giltrow had done a basic fatigue management training course which increased the hours he was permitted to drive in a day from 12 hours to 14 hours, the court heard.

However, after he was pulled over by police while driving a semi-trailer between Clermount and Townsville on December 5 last year, some anomalies were found with his log book.

He had in fact driven 90 minutes over his daily permitted hours.

It was found he had driven five and a half hours before having a seven and half-hour rest and then driven 10 hours, meaning he had driven 15.5 hours in 24 hours.

The self-represented Giltrow pleaded guilty to driving more than the maximum hours permitted.

The father of two told the court he had been out of work for the past six months due to COVID-19 downturn which made it hard to cover his mortgage repayments.

Magistrate Graham Lee fined Giltrow $600 with no conviction recorded and ordered he pay $97.95 court costs.

Originally published as Truckie spared $11,200 fine for driving too many hours