Drinking on the job, while acceptable in some professions, is dangerous to do if you drive a commercial vehicle as part of your work. Having a beer with lunch might be fine for some people, but those with certain job duties can land themselves in serious trouble for taking the same liberty. The BAC limit for DUIs in California is .08% for most drivers, however you only need to have a .04% BAC reading to be convicted of a DUI if you are a commercial vehicle driver. Held to a higher standard, commercial drivers will face penalties on par with what noncommercial drivers do when convicted of a DUI, however their commercial driver's license as well as their regular driver's license will be suspended and not on a restricted basis, like other drivers may have. The commercial driver's license will be suspended for one full year after a DUI conviction, regardless of what kind of vehicle was being driven. With a second DUI, your commercial vehicle license will be taken away for life, possibly posing significant barriers to employment. Commercial drivers should take extra precaution whenever driving on or off the job. If you are a commercial driver and are facing DUI charges from driving a commercial vehicle or your personal vehicle, consult with an experienced DUI defense attorney immediately to best strategize your defense. When your commercial driving license is on the line, don't take any chances in court.

If you are a commercial driver who is facing DUI charges, contact experienced DUI defense attorney Christopher Martens for expert counsel. The skilled legal team at The Law Offices of Christopher Martens can help ensure you take the right next steps in your case. Contact our offices in Hanford and Visalia at 559-967-7386 or email us at [email protected] to discuss your case.