The Impact of Speeding Tickets on Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs)

Speeding tickets can affect a commercial driver’s license and their ability to earn a living. CDL holders can have their driving privileges restricted even for excessive speeding in a personal vehicle. The best way to keep your commercial driving privileges is to keep the speeding ticket off your record.

Speeding ticket violations can depend on local speed limit laws. Commercial drivers should understand what is at stake after getting a ticket for speeding.Contact a local speeding violation lawyer to understand your legal options after a speeding ticket.

Understanding CDL Regulations

Commercial driving laws are different from those for regular motorists. Commercial drivers are held to a higher standard. Most driving regulations fall under state law, but federal law regulates commercial driving requirements. Commercial drivers have to follow both local traffic laws and federal commercial regulations.

Like other motor vehicles, commercial drivers must follow the local speed limits and other traffic laws. Commercial drivers can be pulled over for common traffic offenses, such as speeding violations, improper lane changes, or reckless driving.

Additional regulations apply to their commercial drivers and commercial motor vehicles (CMV). Truck driver regulations include:

• Commercial driver’s license (CDL) training and qualification
• Weight limits
• Hours of service
• Special rules for transporting hazardous materials
• Commercial vehicle inspections
• Mandatory drug and alcohol testing

Consequences of Speeding Tickets for CDL Holders

Speeding tickets can impact your driving privileges, whether in a commercial or personal vehicle. However, there are generally more serious consequences for commercial drivers speeding in a CMV. Penalties can also depend on how fast you exceed the speed limit (excessive speeding).

Speeding in a commercial vehicle will show up on your driving record. Most states have a point system for traffic violations. The number of points can depend on your speed over the limit and other factors. The DMV can issue a driver’s license suspension or revocation if you get too many traffic ticket points within a specific period.

Under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), excessive speeding for CDL drivers is a serious traffic violation. Excessive speeding is going 15 mph or more over the limit in a commercial or personal vehicle. Drivers can lose their CDL privileges for a minimum of 60 days for two excessive speeding violations within three years. A third excessive speeding violation in a three-year period carries a 120-day CDL suspension.

Regular Driver’s Record Impacts CDL

A suspended personal driver’s license will also impact your ability to drive a commercial vehicle. Most states will suspend your regular driver’s license for driving under the influence (DUI) or leaving the scene of an accident. While your regular license is suspended, you can’t drive a commercial vehicle. You have to reinstate your regular driver’s license to drive any vehicle.

Impact on Employment and Insurance

You cannot drive a commercial vehicle when you lose your CDL privileges. A suspended license can put you out of work if your job requires operating a commercial vehicle. You may not be able to work until you get your CDL reinstated.

When your CDL is reinstated, your employer’s vehicle insurance provider may increase insurance costs to cover your driving. Insurance companies can check your driver’s record to see if you have serious offenses or a suspended license. They may increase the insurance premiums to cover the cost of higher-risk drivers. This could also impact your job prospects.

Strategies To Protect Your CDL

Regular drivers can get traffic school for minor moving violations to keep them off their records. Unfortunately, federal law does not allow commercial drivers to go through traffic school to avoid driving violations on their driving record.

You can challenge the ticket in court to keep a speeding infraction off your record. You can request a hearing in traffic court to challenge the violation. If you win your case, the speeding violation is dismissed and won’t go on your driving record.

There are many legal defenses to fight a speeding ticket, including:

• Inaccurate or uncalibrated radar gun
• The speed limit sign was missing or hidden
• Material errors on the traffic ticket
• Dispute the police officer’s observations

To find out the best legal strategies to protect your CDL, talk to a traffic violation attorney for legal advice.

Legal Assistance for CDL Holders

A local traffic violation lawyer understands the challenges CDL holders face with speeding tickets. Too many speeding tickets can result in a license suspension and put their job at risk. A speeding ticket lawyer can review your case and identify your best legal defense strategies.

Your attorney can request a traffic court hearing, appear on your behalf, and fight to keep the speeding violation off your record. Contact a local speeding violation attorney for help keeping your commercial driving record clean.