CMV BAN Hand- Held Mobile Phone Use in MA

    If you are driving your company vehicle and calling in your meatball sub lunch order, you may want to think twice.  Massachusetts is now enforcing the ban on hand-held mobile phones for commercial drivers.  So, you may be thinking, what does this mean for me? 

Lets look at the what defines "commercial motor vehicle".

Commercial Motor Vehicle:   ( According to the MAIA)

    1. gross weight of 10,001 lbs OR used for the transport of property.

    2. a vehicle designed to transport more then 15 passengers (including the driver)

    3. a motor vehicle used in transport of hazardous materials in a quantity requiring placarding under the Federal Hazardous Materials Transportation Act.

    If you are driving a CMV and are pulled over by the MA police, you are looking at becoming disqualified from driving your vehicle for 60 days.  Should you have a second offense, you are looking at disqualification from driving for 3 years. 

    MA is not fooling around when it comes to CMV and hand-held mobile phones.  Please be careful and use the appropriate tools, such as blue-tooth, to stay safe on the roads and disqualification from driving.