If you are a Michigan licensed driver who also holds a Commercial Driver License (CDL), then it's important for you to understand how the Michigan drunk driving laws pertain to you, and what will happen if you are convicted of a Michigan DUI. Importantly, your CDL could be affected even if you are not operating a commercial motor vehicle at the time of the incident.
If you are like most CDL holders, then you rely on your CDL for employment. Without your CDL, trucking companies will not employ you or, if you are an owner/operator of a tractor trailer, you cannot get routes. In short, if you are a truck driver with a CDL in Michigan, and you lose it, then you cannot practice your profession. Do not lose your career by failing to take any traffic offense seriously.
Penalties for a First OffenseAgain, even if the stop occurred in your personal vehicle, if you are convicted of a first offense drunk driving, your CDL will be impacted. In Michigan, drunk driving is charged as "Operating While Intoxicated" (OWI; commonly known as driving under the influence). If you plead or are convicted, your CDL will be suspended for one year. There will be no opportunity for a hardship license or work license. Instead, you will be unemployed for at least a year. If convicted on a DUI second or third offense, your CDL will be suspended for ten years, which would effectively end your career.
Additionally, you will receive six (6) points on your driving record. Even after one year, you may be rejected for employment based upon the points on your license. Unfortunately, once a CDL position is lost to drunk driving, it can be as many as five years before you return to a similar position and pay.
It is important to understand that even if you plea to the reduced charge, or you are convicted of any other traffic violation or criminal offense that suspends or revokes your driver's license, it could also suspend or revoke your CDL. Again, this would apply to you, even if you were operating a non-commercial vehicle when stopped.
Steps to Take if AccusedIf you are a truck driver, bus driver, parcel delivery person, mover, or commercial vehicle mechanic with a CDL and have been charged with an OWI in Michigan, it is imperative that you hire a someone who understands the law and is willing to fight to keep your career. There is always something that can be done to possibly get a result that does not involve a loss of your CDL.
The DUI specialists at the Barone Defense Firm have helped many CDL holders and are determined to get results; results that preserve your CDL and keep you on the road.
Please contact the Barone Defense Firm today and ask for attorney Ryan Ballard. He will explain to you what steps you can take right now to help you keep your CDL, and thereby keep your job and your career trucking!