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Toll-Free (661) 859-1177 Se Habla Español www.bakersfieldtraffictickets.com HARMAN CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC DEFENSE ATTORNEYS , APC BIGGER
THE DAILY DRIVER Attorneys Defending Your Right to the Road
SEPTEMBER 2025
New English Rules Put Truckers in the Hot Seat Language Crackdown
As tougher federal rules requiring truck drivers to show proficiency in English take effect with a 30 day period of time for California to come into compliance or lose funding, we are starting to hear more concerns from our truckers. In our firm, we have seen language proficiency questions surface in cases that began with a roadside stop for other reasons. For professional truck drivers who learned English as a second language, this is a good time to brush up on your language skills. The Trump administration recently authorized the U.S. Department of Transportation to order drivers off the road if they can’t communicate adequately in English. The order reversed an earlier, more lenient rule by the Obama administration, allowing citations for a lack of English proficiency, but not banning drivers from the road.
Since the tougher penalties took effect in June, most news reports have focused on truck drivers whose first language is Spanish. About 40 Mexican nationals have lost their commercial driver’s licenses in Texas, Mississippi, and Arkansas because of the crackdown, according to the BorderReport news site. We haven’t seen any similar reports in California. However, the issue has come up here for drivers whose first language is Punjabi, as a secondary issue in cases involving citations for other issues. If a California Highway Patrol officer pulls a truck driver over for an alleged infraction, a driver who can’t understand the officer’s questions or explain clearly in English what happened on the highway risks losing their license.
on typical questions officials might ask. Drivers also benefit from listening to English language apps while driving. Even after living in the U.S. for years, some drivers still watch videos to learn industry terms. Federal regulations requiring truck drivers to demonstrate English proficiency have been on the books since 1937. The rule requires drivers to “read and speak English sufficiently to converse with the general public, understand highway traffic signs and signals, respond to official inquiries, and make entries on reports and records.” An inspector might also suggest that a driver participate in a vehicle inspection while communicating in English, to demonstrate their familiarity with the names of truck parts. The Obama administration’s loosening of the rule in 2016 led to a sharp drop in annual citations — to as few as 7,800 a year between 2017 and 2024, from 101,000 in 2014. And while more than 4,000 drivers were ordered off the road in 2014, none were removed from service between 2017 and 2024. This is a good time for drivers for whom English is a second language to brush up on all the language and vocabulary skills needed to understand signs, follow instructions, and answer questions from the California Highway Patrol. If you have questions or concerns about these new rules, don’t hesitate to contact us for more information. –Mark Bigger
The stress involved in traffic stops and routine roadside inspections can make
summoning up second-language skills even harder. “If it’s not the language you prefer to use daily, you may get a little nervous and you may feel, ‘What if I say the wrong thing?’” a Texas trucking trade association official told The Associated Press. “It’s going to be, at the end of the day, the interpretation of the officer, so that makes people nervous.” Many drivers are taking classes or watching instructional videos to improve their English skills. Some truck driving schools are creating scripts for drivers to practice, based
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HOW A SENIOR HOUND’S ESCAPE CHANGED DOZENS OF LIVES Jailbreak for Justice
When a 10-year-old basset hound fled from her neglectful home, she didn’t just rescue herself from abuse and poor conditions; she ended up saving more than 30 other animals from unimaginable suffering. Hero, as she’s since been named, was in bad shape when animal rescuers first discovered her. Emaciated and dirty, her overgrown nails had twisted, making it painful for her to walk. She had a painful bladder infection and heartworms. Despite the pain she was in, she made a daring escape, and her ID tag led animal control to a house of horrors. Officers found 36 other dogs, a chicken, and a cat at the location, suffering from various ailments and signs of abuse. Some animals lived in small, dirty cages; others
had injuries and signs of malnutrition. All of them were dirty and had a medical issue of some kind. It was clear they needed help. The Humane Society of Concord took in 15 of the dogs, including Hero, and other local rescues housed the rest. When the sad story of these neglected dogs reached the community, people heard the call and donated funds to help cover their medical and care costs. If it had not been for Hero’s life-saving feat, there’s no telling what would have become of her furry friends. The shelter that named her Hero even gave her a last name, Salvare, which means to save and protect. They described her as “a friendly girl with the softness of a sweet old lady” who deserved a quiet home as she recovered.
Hero has since found her forever home and was adopted the next day after the shelter searched for a new owner. Thanks to the kind and persevering hound, many other dogs from the home have also been adopted. “Despite Hero’s sad backstory, she’s proof that dogs are resilient creatures that only show love that is unconditional,” the shelter wrote. Hero may have started as a victim, but she ended a chapter of abuse as a rescuer. Her quiet bravery saved her and transformed the lives of dozens of others, proving that even in the darkest places, hope can come on four legs and floppy ears.
THE SPEED BUMPS But sharing a tiny space with a coworker 24/7 can be a miserable experience, a rookie driver wrote on an industry subreddit, r/Truckers. “You’re sharing a rolling bedroom with someone, and you have to trust their driving to sleep,” a commenter responded.
TAG-TEAM STRESS
The Highs and Lows of Team Trucking
Trying to sleep in a rolling vehicle is a big hurdle for some team drivers. Also, staying entertained during non-driving hours can be difficult. A federal appeals court in Boston recently ordered a freight hauling company to pay overtime to team drivers confined to their sleeping berths for more than eight hours a day. Although the company argued that the off-duty driver could do whatever they wanted, including watching movies or surfing social media, the court found that the sleeper space was too confining to support much R&R. One key to success, truckers say, is to choose your own partner. Although some companies require new drivers to train with an experienced teammate at first, most allow drivers a choice after the training stage. Even driving with your bestie, potential snags can arise. A team driver who works with a close friend recommends setting up a work-sharing schedule. He and his teammate drive for six weeks together, then separate for four weeks, with each driving solo for two of those four weeks. “It doesn’t matter how well you get along,” this driver says. “There’s going to be tension in the truck.”
Many trucking companies employ team drivers, enabling them to cover more miles and, in some cases, charge customers higher rates. For some drivers, pairing up with another trucker for long- haul jobs may sound appealing. But if you ask experienced truck drivers, most say team driving poses challenges and can be difficult to tolerate unless you’re teamed with a spouse, friend, or family member. THE FAST LANE Team drivers often make more money by moving expensive freight 24/7. Some freight-hauling companies offer tricked-out cabs to ease the strain, including built-in TVs and refrigerators, memory foam mattresses, and auxiliary power to keep heat or air conditioning running with the engine off. Father-and-son and husband-and-wife teams are fairly common. One mother who has been driving with her son for 11 years says they support each other on the road and make more money, too — all of which stays in their household.
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Your Referrals Make a Difference! Thanks to your 113 referrals in August, we were able to donate $1,760 to help fight human trafficking and lead medical missions. INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE MISSION To learn more about International Justice Mission and their mission to protect half a billion vulnerable people from exploitation, please go to IJM.org . MEDICAL MISSIONS OUTREACH To learn more about showing God’s love by providing quality medical treatment to some of the poorest people in the world, visit the Medical Missions Outreach home page at Medical-Outreach.com .
Here’s How to Shift Gears and Fight Back CDL in Danger?
One of the most dreaded letters a professional truck driver can receive is a notice from the state warning that their license is about to be suspended.
Drivers only have 14 days from the mailing date of such a letter (or 10 days if you were served in person) to request a hearing on the Department of Motor Vehicles’ (DMV) planned action against you. The DMV tracks your driving behavior using a point system: the Negligent Operator Treatment System (NOTS). A warning letter reflects the fact that you’ve accumulated enough points on your license to threaten your career. NOTS points accumulate 1.5 times faster on commercial drivers’ licenses (CDLs) than for others. A conviction on a speeding violation that adds 1 point to a regular driver’s license might add 1.5 points to a CDL. Acting quickly to request a hearing is your best chance to protect your livelihood. Drivers who try to defend themselves in court typically lose their cases, putting themselves at risk of a six-month suspension or a year on probation. An experienced traffic attorney can help drivers defend themselves at these hearings. Our attorneys spend 60–70 hours a week working on defense strategies, calling out technical errors and inaccuracies in the state’s cases, and persuading hearing officers to dismiss suspensions. We may be able to argue successfully for an increase in the maximum allowable points limit on your license. Also, if the state claims you were at fault for a traffic accident you did not cause, an experienced attorney can help you set the record straight. The earlier you secure legal representation, the better your chances for an improved outcome. If you are concerned about NOTS points on your license or have received a license suspension notice, contact us today. We will gladly guide you through this procedural thicket to protect your CDL — and your livelihood!
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” JOHN 3:16 (ESV)
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, APC HARMAN CALIFORNIA TRAFFIC DEFENSE ATTORNEYS BIGGER
Toll-Free (661) 859-1177 Se Habla Español www.bakersfieldtraffictickets.com
PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
1701 Westwind Drive Suite 203 Bakersfield, CA 93301
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
New Rules, New Roadblocks: English Skills Now a Must for Truckers........... PAGE 1
One Dog’s Daring Escape Uncovered a Nightmare........................................................... PAGE 2
2 in the Cab: Weighing the Realities of Team Driving.................................................... PAGE 2
Protect Your CDL: Don’t Let a Mistake Drive You off the Road........................................ PAGE 3
Let the Kids Take Over (Sort Of)...................... PAGE 4
Have a ticket in California? Give us a call, and we’ll help you out! Regardless of the location, we can point you in the right direction free of charge!
‘YES DAY’ MAGIC Let Your Kids Run the Show (With a Few Rules!)
Imagine a day when your kids get to call the shots. Ice cream for breakfast? Sure. Pajamas all day? Why not. That’s the magic of a “Yes Day” — a full 24 hours where the answer to (almost) every request is a “YES!” It’s a chance to say goodbye to the daily “No, no, no!” and “Maybe later” and embrace spontaneity, laughter, and connection. But let’s be real: Without a few guidelines, a Yes Day would spiral into pure chaos. That’s why setting a few ground rules ahead of time can turn this fun tradition into a memory-making success for everyone. START WITH CLEAR GUIDELINES. Before the big day, sit down as a family and lay out the ground rules. Think of them as your Yes Day boundaries — they keep things fun and manageable. Common ones include:
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The requests must be safe.
Everything must stay within budget. All activities need to happen locally (or within a certain radius). Everyone has to participate (no solo fun unless it’s reasonable).
KEEP IT SIMPLE AND SATISFYING. A successful Yes Day doesn’t have to break the bank or wear everyone out. The joy comes from the freedom to choose and the feeling of being heard. You can cap the day with a movie marathon, a backyard campout, or letting your kids pick dinner (yes, even if it’s cereal and snacks). MAKE IT A TRADITION. Yes Days are more than a treat; they’re a relationship builder. When kids feel seen and empowered, it deepens trust and creates moments you’ll all remember. So, go ahead! Pick a day, set some ground rules, and get ready to say “yes” to the joy that only comes when you let go.
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This sets the tone for creative, collaborative planning while avoiding unreasonable asks like “Let’s fly to Paris!” LET THE KIDS TAKE THE LEAD. One of the best parts of a Yes Day is watching your kids light up as they brainstorm what they want to do. Encourage them to write down a list of ideas in advance. You might be surprised — many kids don’t ask for wild, expensive things. They just want uninterrupted time with their parents, whether it’s building a fort, going to the park, or baking cookies together.
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