List of CDL Disqualifications

8 minutes

by Dennis Katsnelson

CDL is a document that gives the right to drive a heavy vehicle. A CDL driver's license allows the holder to seek employment with a company or engage in commercial transport with their truck. The CDL driver must follow the provisions of this document, which includes safety and regulatory rules. Thanks to the points in the CDL, all CMV operators receive safety and also do not create accidents on the road. FMCSA will disqualify drivers for violation of the rules. The amount of the fine will depend on the severity of the violation.

Everything You Need to Know About CDL Disqualification

There is a list of conditions that, according to the FMCSA rules, cannot allow the driver to use the CMV. The possible disqualification only applies to CDL or CLP holders or those required to hold a CLP or CDL. Part of the terms carries a permanent ban on the use of CMV. In other cases, you can restore the right to use the CMV after ten years.

List of CDL Disqualifying Offenses

These include:

• Drunk state (exceeding the state limit and a total excess of 0.04 or more)
• Use of State-Prohibited Substances
• A decision by the driver to leave the scene of the accident
• Exceeding the speed limit (calculated from the speed limit for this section) by 15 miles per hour (or more)
• Violation of the limits of the road line and careless driving
• Incorrect lane change
• Non-observance of the distance between your own and the car
• Violation of state or municipal motor vehicle regulation laws
• Driver's use of the media to commit crimes (does not apply to cases of drug distribution)
• Management of CMV after Suspension for CDL Violation
• An accident resulting in death due to the fault of the driver as a result of negligent handling of the CMV

Violation of these positions can lead to the following restrictions:

• Suspension from CMV management for 60 days for repeated violations or serious violations of the rules from the list for driving any vehicle.
• Suspension from driving a CMV for 120 days for three or more convictions while driving any vehicle for three years, resulting in the suspension or revocation of a driver's license without a CMV
• Suspension from CMV for one year for the very first conviction or outright refusal to take a test while driving any vehicle
• Suspension from driving a CMV for three years for a first conviction or a categorical refusal to pass a test while driving a CMV that transports dangerous goods
• Suspension from CMV management for life (but with the possibility of reinstatement after ten years) for repeat convictions, outright refusal to test, or any of the listed serious offenses while using any vehicle
• Suspension from CMV management for life (non-recoverable)

Restoration of CDL Lifetime Disqualification Reinstatement

Any non-serious or the first infractions in a driver's career will result in a suspension. However, in more severe cases - to a life suspension.

There are some lifetime bans, after which you can wait ten years and restore the ability to control CMV. The recovery process depends on many factors and the severity of the violation committed in the past.

If the CMV driver was convicted of a serious offense in a situation after reinstatement, he would never be reinstated again.

Medical Disqualifications for CDL Drivers 2023

Not all suspensions from CMV management are related to any violation of CDL positions. Health problems are another reason a guardian may be suspended. These are not the most common cases, but knowing the list of these medical disqualifications is important. It is also important to know that not all of them are permanent. After undergoing treatment, in some cases, the driver can restore access to the CMV control. All this happens after careful checks by a medical examiner, who must prove that the driver is no longer a danger to other road users.

Some medical problems require an exemption from the DOT medical examination. In some situations, the doctor may allow the driver to operate the CMV, even if there is an illness. This occurs after examination, passing the necessary tests, and confirmation by the doctor of the safety of this disease in the management of CMV.

Common Medical Disqualifications

Most drugs will not prevent CMV drivers from getting a CDL. There is still no official list. However, there are selected categories of drugs that most often have a particularly strong effect on the driver's condition and with which it is not recommended to drive. Prescribing such drugs in almost all cases will lead to disqualification. Among them:

• seizure medications
• methadone

It is also impossible to hide from the commission the fact of the use of these drugs. since they will be discovered after the test or you will just create an emergency and get a lifetime disqualification.

Diseases Leading to Disqualification

These include:

• Problems with vision and hearing. Any CMV operator must have excellent vision and hearing in order to control the situation on the road and respond in time to changes in traffic. That is why all operators undergo a vision and hearing test.
• Epilepsy. This is not a guaranteed disqualification from driving. The driver can access the controls if he provides evidence of a stable condition.
• Diabetes and hypertension. Here you can also request an exception, proving the stability of the state. However, severe forms of the disease (such as grade 3 diabetes) will result in a full disqualification.

All medical suspensions are strictly individual and are reviewed by a panel of physicians.