Truck drivers spend most of their time driving, so it’s likely that most of them will accumulate at least a few minor traffic offenses over time. Depending on the offense, a driver’s license may be permanently revoked or temporarily suspended. Each company has its own policies on infractions and may decline to hire drivers with a particular sort of infraction, or drivers that have experienced too many occurrences in a specific amount of time.
Points on a License with Merit
For a variety of traffic violations, a person receives demerit points that are added to their driving record. If they accumulate too many demerit points, they can lose their license. Each state handles license points differently, but it takes more than one infraction to accumulate enough points to get a license revoked or suspended. Speeding infraction might result in an increase of two to eleven points. Failure to stop, reckless driving, and driving too close to another vehicle are examples of additional first-time violations that can add points, but do not result in the suspension of a driver’s license on their own.
Infractions of Speed
For a first offense, a driver who is pulled over for speeding usually won’t have his license suspended. According to Nolo, the US Department of Transportation mandates that the truck driver’s license is suspended for 60 days if the driver receives a second ticket for the same infraction within three years of the first ticket. If the driver receives a third ticket for speeding within those three years, his license will be suspended for 120 days, but he will eventually be able to get it back.
When hiring drivers with moving offenses, trucking companies consider the driver’s speed over the limit and the date the ticket was issued. Despite the driver having a valid license, some trucking companies won’t accept a driver who has received more than three speeding tickets in the previous three years.
Significant Traffic Offenses
Serious moving infractions include things like tailgating, using a hand-held phone while driving where it’s not allowed, and making abrupt or inappropriate lane changes. Even if found guilty, a truck driver can retain his commercial driver’s license but will still be subject to punishment. A license suspension of 60 days may follow a second infraction. A license suspension of 120 days is possible after three infractions.
Serious Traffic Infractions
A truck driver may conduct some very serious offenses while still maintaining his license, but the first time he is detected, he/she will lose it for at least a year. According to the BLS, one such offense that can result in the suspension of a commercial driver’s license (CDL) is driving while intoxicated (DUI) by drugs or alcohol. The CDL may be suspended for three years if the driver gets a DUI charge or leaves the scene of an accident.
According to the ODOT, drivers who refuse to submit to a drug or alcohol test are treated the same way and face the same penalties as those who accept to submit to testing and turn out positive. If a driver repeats the same serious infraction, his commercial driver’s license may be permanently revoked. Even for a first-time conviction for transporting hazardous items or for refusing to submit to a drug or alcohol test, the penalty can be the permanent revocation of the CDL.
Conclusion
Each company has its own set of regulations about felonies, experience required or valid CDL. Although, many will take into account employing drivers who have a DUI/DWI on their record.
DUI stands for “driving while intoxicated” and DWI is an acronym for “driving while intoxicated”. DUI and DWI may have similar connotations in some states while having different meanings in others.
Companies wait a minimum of 3 years before employing drivers who have been charged with DUI or DWI. Even if there has only been one offense within the allotted time.