DUI Penalties For Commercial Drivers

DUI Penalties for Commercial Drivers

Do You Drive for a Living?

If you have a commercial driver’s license (CDL) and you were charged with DUI, be aware that your career is in jeopardy. Even if you were pulled over outside of work hours, while driving your personal vehicle, you are at risk of commercial driver’s license suspension. That suspension could last a year or more. In the meantime, your employer is unlikely to wait until your CDL is reinstated. When it is reinstated, you may have trouble finding work. Employers are more likely to choose a professional driver without a DUI on his or her record.

As if a one-year CDL suspension was not damaging enough, various factors can increase DUI penalties for commercial drivers. Were you transporting hazardous materials at the time of the drunk driving arrest? A conviction could then lead to a three-year suspension. If you have a prior drunk driving offense, even from before you obtained your CDL, you run the risk of never being able to drive commercially again.

For professional drivers in Pennsylvania, .08 blood alcohol content (BAC) is well over the legal limit. In fact, the legal limit for CDL holders is a mere .04 BAC.

The Fight to Protect Your Career

At Cherry DUI Law, our attorneys have decades of experience. We are skilled, knowledgeable and ready to fight to protect your career. In many cases, negotiation with criminal prosecutors may be effective. In others, we may need to take a more aggressive approach. We will attack the evidence against you. We will go to trial and argue your case in front of a judge and jury if that is necessary to protect your career and your future.

Free Consultation — Philadelphia DUI Lawyers

To discuss DUI penalties for commercial drivers with one of our experienced lawyers, call us at 610-565-0300 or 215-675-2400 or send us an e-mail.