If you hold a commercial driver’s license, you know how important it is to protect your license. Your license is the key to your livelihood — without it, you can’t work and earn an income to support yourself and your family. So if you have gotten a moving violation on your commercial driver’s license, you need to make sure that you get the best legal representation available to protect your license and your job.
Truck drivers must be particularly vigilant while driving, because of the large size of their vehicle and the dangers that they can cause if they make a mistake while driving. This is why truck drivers have to be carefully trained and could lose their license if they commit a moving violation in their truck. Unfortunately, the consequences of losing their commercial license translates to losing their ability to do their job and earn an income. If you are a truck driver or other commercial driver and are facing losing your license or having it disqualified, cancelled, revoked, or suspended, call our offices today.
In Pennsylvania, commercial drivers can receive a disqualification of their commercial license if they commit a moving violation. Disqualification means a temporary or permanent withdrawal of their license. The length of the disqualification depends on the offense and on the driver’s current driving record. Truck drivers can have their licenses disqualified for one major traffic offense, two serious offenses in a three year period, or for other specific offenses, such as ignoring railroad signs or violating an out of service order. Another disqualifying offense is to drive a truck that poses danger to the other drivers on the road.
Below is a list of major traffic offenses and serious traffic offenses. Note that two serious offenses in a three year period will result in having your license disqualified for sixty days, and three or more serious offenses in a three year period will result in a 120 day disqualification.
Major Traffic Offenses
- Driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs: 1 year disqualification (3 years with Hazmat endorsement)
- Refusing to submit to chemical testing: 1 year disqualification (3 years with Hazmat endorsement)
- Leaving the scene of an accident: 1 year disqualification (3 years with Hazmat endorsement)
- Using a vehicle to commit a felony: 1 year disqualification (3 years with Hazmat endorsement)
- Using a vehicle in a controlled substance felony: Lifetime disqualification
- Driving a commercial vehicle with a suspended, revoked, cancelled, or disqualified license: 1 year disqualification (3 years with Hazmat endorsement)
- Causing a fatality by operating commercial vehicle negligently: 1 year disqualification (3 years with Hazmat endorsement)
Serious Traffic Offenses
- Exceeding the maximum speed limit by 15 mph or more
- Driving recklessly according to state or local law
- Making improper or erratic lane changes
- Following vehicle ahead too closely
- Driving a commercial vehicle without the proper license
In some cases, certain offenses can have your commercial driver’s license disqualified even if you commit them in a normal vehicle. These include DUIs or DWIs, using a vehicle to commit a felony, and leaving the scene of an accident. It is important that truck drivers remember this when they get behind the wheel of their personal vehicle or even a rental car, as it could still result in them losing their commercial driver’s license and as a result their livelihood.
If you have been accused of any of these traffic offenses and are facing having your commercial driver’s license disqualified, you do have the right to appeal the disqualification. However, when you appeal the decision, you need to have a rock solid appeal prepared in order to be successful in keeping your license from being disqualified.
If you have an experienced York and Harrisburg traffic attorney on your side, you stand a much better chance at building a solid and successful appeal. We will make sure that you have the evidence needed to back up your appeal, and we will help you find ways to prove to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration that you do not deserve to have your commercial driver’s license disqualified.
Our lawyers are available to speak with you right away about preparing your appeal. We will defend your rights and make sure that you do not lose your ability to work because of a simple traffic offense. Contact us right away so that we can begin preparations immediately for your appeal. Let our experience handling commercial driver’s license cases help you today.