A loss of commercial driving privileges triggered by certain serious violations.

"Major offense" points to a defined group of violations under federal and state CDL rules, not just any traffic ticket. Under 49 C.F.R. § 383.51, these offenses include conduct like driving a commercial motor vehicle with a prohibited alcohol concentration, refusing a required alcohol test, leaving the scene of a crash, using a vehicle to commit a felony, or causing a fatality through negligent operation. "Disqualification" means the driver is barred from operating a commercial motor vehicle for a set period, even if the person's regular license is still valid for non-commercial driving. For a first major offense, the usual federal minimum is 1 year; it becomes 3 years if the violation happened while transporting hazardous materials, and a second major offense can lead to lifetime disqualification.

Practically, this can shut down a driver's income fast. A major-offense disqualification is usually reported through state licensing agencies, while drug and alcohol violations may also appear in the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. Routine moving violations usually stay in state DMV systems instead.

For an injury claim, a disqualification can matter in several ways. It may support arguments about negligence, negligent hiring, or negligent entrustment, especially if a carrier let a disqualified driver keep working. It can also affect settlement leverage, because a serious regulatory violation tends to draw attention nobody wants.