Facing a drunk driving charge is difficult for anyone; however, if your livelihood depends upon your ability to drive, the effects can be even greater. People who hold a commercial driver's license are held to standards that are much higher than the standards for those who hold a personal driver's license. If you are facing a DUI with a commercial driver's license, you should begin to prepare your defense right away.
The reasons for the strict regulations for those who have a commercial driver's license are easy to see. These drivers are responsible for carrying people and cargo in large buses, trucks or trailers. This places a huge burden on them, but it also means that they must make sure they are driving in a safe manner. That means that they should have their wits about them.
One of the ways that drunk driving laws differ for commercial drivers is that the blood alcohol percentage is much lower for commercial drivers. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has set the limit for commercial drivers at .04 percent, which is half of the .08 percent limit for other drivers who are old enough to legally consume alcohol. Any BAC that is higher than .04 percent is considered drunk for a person with a CDL.
It is possible that you will lose your CDL because of a DUI conviction. With that in mind, you must ensure that you fight against the charges. Make sure that you don't waste time getting to work on your case. You will need as much time as possible to plan and build your defense strategy to fight against the charges placed against you.
Source: FindLaw, "Commercial DUI Regulations," accessed April 01, 2016
