Having a commercial driver’s license (CDL) allows a person to take on a number of jobs that normal drivers cannot. This includes driving other people like bus drivers or taxi drivers, or driving large trucks.
However, drivers with a CDL must still abide by all the same rules of the road. This includes even more potential repercussions than usual drivers may face.
The possibility of license suspension
NPR discusses the major perceived problem of a trucker shortage and the lengths that companies go to in order to keep their drivers on board. With the high paying rates, many drivers want to stay in the game.
However, many trucking companies also pay per delivery or find other ways to incentivize getting work done quickly at the potential expense of fully following the laws of the road. In other words, drivers may speed to get more deliveries done and make more money in less time.
But one or two speeding citations can actually result in a two-month suspension of a CDL. Any third or subsequent citation may last in a suspension of up to 120 days, instead. This can also result in a raised insurance premium which can cost a lot of money.
The impact on career prospects
On top of this, the temporary loss of a CDL is a huge problem. First, you may end up fired because you cannot drive your vehicle during this period of license suspension. You may have to reapply or even find a new job, but having a speeding citation on record could reduce your chance of getting hired.
Thus, it is best to avoid getting ticketed in the first place.