Penalties increased by over 7% in all categories.

The Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015 requires the Federal Department of Transportation to annually adjust fine amounts due to inflation. This results in increased fines for truckers and companies found in violation, reflecting the overall rise in prices, including for items such as eggs and diesel fuel.

The government calculates the 2023 adjustment amount by multiplying the previous penalty amount with the percentage change between the October 2022 and October 2021 Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U). For that period, the multiplier was 1.07745, leading to an increase of around 7.18% in all fine amounts.

The updated chart with 2023 fine amounts was officially published in the Federal Register on January 6th and became effective immediately. The Federal DOT specified that these penalties will only apply to violations committed after the rule took effect and that the rule doesn’t impact penalties that have already been assessed or are being actively collected.

Here are some of the new fines for common infractions drivers and operators are ticketed for:

  • Out-of-service order: Operation of CMV by the driver – $2,232
  • Out-of-service order: Requiring or permitting operation of CMV by the driver – $22,324
  • Out-of-service order: Operation by the driver of CMV or intermodal equipment that was placed out-of-service – $2,232
  • Out-of-service order: Requiring or permitting operation of CMV or intermodal equipment that was placed out-of-service – $22,324
  • Out-of-service order: Failure to return written certification of correction – $1,116
  • Out-of-service order: Failure to cease operations as ordered – $32,208
  • Out-of-service order: Operating in violation of order – $28,304
  • Out-of-service order: Conducting operations during suspension or revocation for failure to pay penalties – $18,170