People who operate commercial vehicles such as delivery vans, semi-trucks, commercial buses and more pass a special test to receive a commercial driver’s license. In addition to passing state-specific tests and abiding by the laws in individual regions, commercial drivers must also learn and follow all rules and regulations developed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
A state and the FMCSA may assign penalties to drivers who violate commercial driving laws.
Loss of commercial driving privileges in New York state
As explained by the New York Department of Motor Vehicles, a person with a valid commercial driver’s license may have her or his license revoked or suspended for a variety of infractions. These include the failure or refusal of the person to pay a fine associated with a moving violation. A person found driving without a valid insurance policy may also lose a CDL. Impaired driving offenses, whether due to drugs or to alcohol, may also contribute to the loss of commercial driving privileges.
Federal laws governing commercial drivers
A commercial driver must follow the laws in a given city, county or state. That person must also know and follow all rules set forth by the FMCSA. In some cases, the FMCSA holds a driver to a higher standard than a local or state law. The commercial driver must always follow the strictest set of rules.
For example, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration bans any handheld use of cell phones or other electronic devices even when stopped and idling at a traffic light or stop sign and regardless of the law in the immediate jurisdiction.