CDL and DWI
When a CDL holder is driving a commercial vehicle, they are not allowed the usual .08 BAC reading. Rather, they must have a blood alcohol concentration below .04. As a result, if their BAC is .04 or greater, they face a DWI and risk their CDL. In addition, any measurable amount of alcohol in their system will result in Operating a Commercial Vehicle After Consuming Alcohol. Furthermore, there is an automatic “out of service order” for 24 hours. That is to say no driving a commercial motor vehicle during this time.
Failure to abide by the out of service order results in CDL disqualification for at least 90 days for a first offense. For a second out of service violation within ten years, then the person is disqualified for at least one year. And a third violation within ten years makes your license revoked at least three years. So even if a person does not have a BAC of .04 or above, they can still lose their license if they continue to drive improperly.
Refusal to Cooperate
Refusing to cooperate with police makes it harder to defend CDL disqualification. If a person refuses chemical analysis (i.e. to provide a breath sample), their license- not just their CDL, is revoked for one year. They may be eligible to get a Limited Driving Privilege after 6 months from the date of revocation, but they will not be qualified to drive a commercial vehicle until the full year has passed.
In conclusion, alcohol and commercial vehicles simply don’t mix! And this is true for both safety reasons and legal reasons. When operating an eighteen wheeler or any commercial vehicle, they must mentally focus. Hence, alcohol can interfere with that focus and make you unsafe. As a result, laws here are strict and strictly enforced. Consequently, it is best to have no alcohol in your system before you drive. For the sake of everyone on the road and your career, be safe and follow the law.