Colorado recently increased the penalties for truck drivers operating a commercial vehicle without a CDL in the wake of several tragic wrecks involving unlicensed truck drivers.
Just last week in Colorado, a truck driver who was unlicensed at the time of a fatal wreck was sentenced to 11 years in prison for a 2022 wreck, while another unlicensed driver with a history of deportation was charged with multiple misdemeanors for another fatal accident. Until Colorado’s most recent session, driving a commercial vehicle without a commercial drivers license was only a traffic offense. Now, a recently passed bill makes the offense a misdemeanor, reported News 9.
While supporters of the bill consider its passing a win, officials still say it’s up to the federal government to remove driver’s ability to operate semi trucks if they are caught driving one without a license.
“We need to make sure we prevent this from happening again,” said Greg Fulton, president of the Colorado Motor Carriers Association. “And the way you do this is – look don’t give multiple chances… It really falls within the federal government in terms of probably removing their ability to operate.”
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