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Consequences
Drive For A Living
You've just been arrested for DUI. This presents a major problem because you happen to drive trucks for a living. What will your company think? Will you still be able to drive? Will they fire you? These are a few of the concerns occupational drivers have after a DUI offense.
Whether you're a truck driver, a commercial pilot, a school bus driver, a traveling salesperson, or any other position that involves driving, a DUI will bring about definite consequences regarding your job. Unfortunately there are no universal rules or laws covering all situations. Your company will have to decide what penalties to implement based on their own specific policies.
You must prepare yourself to face employers who will be concerned with keeping you on their staff. The more driving that's required of you, the more anxiety they are likely to feel. Your employers may worry that they are putting someone with an alcohol problem back on the road. If you end up getting into a serious alcohol-induced accident, they could face extreme financial penalties.
Insurance rates mark another area of concern for your business. After an employee is convicted of DUI, the company's overall rate could skyrocket. This is especially significant in small businesses that have limited revenues.
The most important step you can take to save your job and reputation is to enroll in an alcohol or drug treatment program. This will show your employers that you are dealing with your problems and want to remedy them (whether you actually believe you have an alcohol problem or not). You'll prove yourself as a competent, law-abiding individual with a positive attitude. After seeing that you are dedicated to completing one of these programs, your company's confidence in you will increase. Your employers will then have more of a reason to risk keeping you in your current position.
There are, however, certain consequences that drivers cannot avoid after a DUI arrest. Even though you may be eligible to obtain a restricted license at some point, there is usually a period up front in which your license will be completely suspended. This means that no matter how your company feels about your offense, you are banned from driving for this initial amount of time. For your first DUI, you will lose your driving privileges for 30 days even if you get a restricted license thereafter. This restricted license can act as a commercial operators' license, but you first must adhere to the 30-day suspension in order to qualify for one.
A good DUI lawyer will help you analyze your employment situation and the options you have after committing a DUI. You may need to take your case to trial if you can't get a satisfactory plea bargain, but a dedicated DUI attorney can help you through this entire process.
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