Traffic tickets for commercial drivers with commercial driver licenses (CDL) can carry more severe penalties than the same ticket violations for non-commercial drivers. Commercial Drivers spend more time on the road than the average driver. As such, the State of Missouri does their best to insure that the drivers who spend so much of their time on the road are the safest and most responsible of all drivers.

These severe penalties can have a significant impact on a CDL driver. If a non-commercial driver loses his privilege to drive he will likely be eligible for some version of a restricted use license to get to and from work. If a commercial driver loses his privilege to drive he will not be eligible to drive a commercial vehicle and thus will not be able to work at all. Add to that the fact that licensing agencies are quicker to suspend or revoke a CDL than an ordinary driver license and it is evident just how serious speeding tickets and other moving violations can be for a commercial driver.

Even traffic tickets that do not result in a loss of your privilege to drive a commercial vehicle can be extremely harmful. Many commercial drivers are covered by an employer insurance policy and risk becoming a financial burden to their employers if they receive traffic tickets on their CDL or other CDL violations. Some employers have specific policies with respect to certain point totals or convictions for their commercial drivers. Thus, you can lose your job based on your driving record.

In Missouri, each driver has only one Driver's License. One may not lose the base driving privilege and retain the CDL driving privilege. A CDL holder must be disqualified for 60 days from driving a Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV) if convicted of or pleading guilty to two "serious traffic offenses", in separate occurrences, within a three year period, the three year period being determined by violation date. These offenses can have occurred in a commercial or non-commercial vehicle. "Serious traffic offenses" include: Speeding greater than 15mph, reckless driving, improper lane change, following too closely, driving a CMV without a CDL.

In addition to this, a CDL holder must be disqualified 1 year after being convicted of or pleading guilty to anyone of the following: DWI, DUI, Operating a CMV with a BAC of greater than .04, Refusing to Blow, Leaving the Scene of an Accident, DWR. No driver improvement programs, or limited driving privileges are available to those with a CDL for purposes of driving a CMV.

We regularly help CDL drivers keep points off their record and avoid some of these serious consequences. Call us right away if you are a CDL holder who has received a traffic ticket. We can help you understand the potential consequences and discuss who we can help!