Losing a CDL would be a nightmare for a lot of people who make their living in the trucking and transportation industries. Without that license, professional truck drivers cannot work. Fortunately, complete revocation of a CDL is really only done in cases of severe misconduct, where allowing that individual to keep driving trucks would endanger the public. If you are accused of a serious CDL violation that puts your license at risk, you will want to work with an experienced attorney to give you the best odds of keeping your license when all is said and done. 

Which Violations Could I Lose My CDL Over? 

Minor violations and even minor accidents are unlikely to cost you your CDL, unless they happen quite frequently. More severe violations that create a risk to public safety, however, could get your CDL taken away. Serious violations punishable by CDL revocation include: 

• Driving intoxicated - Large trucks create a much higher level of danger than smaller vehicles do when they are driven by an impaired person. A first incident will typically result in a suspension of about a year, but a repeat incident is likely to lead to revocation. 

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In Illinois, commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders are held to high standards in order to protect the safety of everyone on the road. A variety of violations can disqualify a person from obtaining a CDL, or result in the temporary or permanent revocation of a CDL. Given the importance of a CDL for a person’s livelihood, it is understandable that you would be concerned about the possibility of losing your license, especially if you are involved in an accident in which someone is injured.

What Happens When a CDL Holder Causes an Injury?

Getting in an accident is never a good situation. Setting aside the risk of serious injury to yourself,  you could also face serious consequences if you are found to be at fault for the crash. Depending on the circumstances leading to the collision, you and your employer could be liable for property damage and damages related to another person’s injuries. Your employer could also view an accident as grounds for termination if the crash was caused by your unsafe driving behavior.

That said, causing an accident and injuries is not itself grounds for disqualification of your commercial driver’s license. This means that in many cases, you could continue to drive for either your current employer or another employer even if you are found to be liable for a crash.