For long haul truckers, possession of a commercial driver license (CDL) is the difference between obtaining work and being unemployed. Without one, it is impossible to legally operate commercial vehicles, rendering the expense and effort that goes into obtaining a CDL moot. For these reasons, truck drivers are extremely careful to avoid violations that may result in the loss of their CDL while operating their vehicle.
Commercial Driver Licenses and your Personal Traffic Violations
Not all drivers realize that their actions while operating personal and non-commercial vehicles may also affect the status of their CDL, and in fact can result in its suspension due to violations incurred at the wheel of a non-commercial vehicle. More importantly, as CDLs are controlled by federal regulations, violations occurring in one state can result in the trucker being unable to work anywhere in the United States, especially as the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986 forbids drivers from having more than one CDL.
Federal Law and Personal Traffic Violations
Our attorney from The Ticket Team recommends reviewing Section §383.51 of the CFR if in doubt as to what types of personal violations may put your CDL in jeopardy. This section specifically lists what factors may result in the disqualification of a driver’s CDL, and the length of the suspension. In it, there are a number of traffic violations that may impact your CDL even if they occur in a private vehicle such as, making improper traffic lane changes, following other vehicles too closely and even texting while driving.
Driving Under the Influence While in a Personal Vehicle
Driving while under the influence can prove to have disastrous consequences for anybody, but it is particularly devastating for truckers that will lose their ability to provide for themselves and their family. Driving under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances, refusing to take a test for intoxication or being involved in an accident while under the influence will result in the suspension of the driver’s CDL. In most cases, the guidelines mandate that the CDL be suspended for a full year for the first offense. A second offense will result in the permanent revocation of the individual’s CDL.
Serious Traffic Violations
Serious traffic violations will also result in the suspension of a CDL. A driver who receives a speeding ticket can have his or her CDL suspended for sixty days if the ticket was for driving 15mph or more above the posted limit and it is the second violation within a three-year period. A subsequent violation will result in the suspension of the driver’s CDL for a period of not less than 120 days. Receiving a traffic ticket for reckless driving or violating motor traffic control laws can also result in a sixty day suspension of the license for the second offense in a three year period, followed by a 120 day suspension for any subsequent violations.
Protecting a driver’s CDL is not simply a manner of abiding by driving regulations while behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle, but ensuring that the driver is always in compliance with the law, no matter the type of vehicle he or she is driving. Failure to do so can result in the temporary or permanent loss of the right to operate commercial vehicles, with the potential loss of employment that entails.
Guest post author Shelby Warden is a legal researcher and contributing author for the The Ticket Team, a Florida-based law firm that provides aggressive representation for clients that need to fight a traffic citation. Traffic tickets can be very problematic for those that depend on a CDL for their livelihood. Before you allow a traffic violation to put your job at risk, speak to one of the expert attorneys from The Ticket Team and fight to protect your future.
