The Department of Transportation (DOT) has declared a “national emergency” because several states were giving truck licenses to foreign drivers without properly checking their papers!!! Valid licenses with expired immigration status, unverified documents… a mess.
The news broke on September 26, and all states have had to halt the issuance of these licenses until they comply with the new federal rules. And of course, this measure is going to shake the country’s logistics sector because it could leave thousands of truck drivers without jobs.
California, what happened?
California has been one of the places where this was happening the most. Federal auditors say that one out of every four licenses of this kind in the state is illegal, 1 out of 4!!! We’re talking about 60,000 permits, 60,000 lives that depend on those jobs to survive (even if their papers aren’t in order).
Sean Duffy, Secretary of Transportation, has given the state an ultimatum. They have 30 days to get up to date or they lose 160 million dollars in highway funds. And if they remain the same for a second year, the penalty doubles.
But there are more states under watch. Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas, and Washington are also on the list.
The changes
From now on, each document will have to be verified with the federal immigration system. There will be no renewals online or by mail; drivers will have to go in person. The license expires with the visa or, at most, after 12 months. And any that don’t comply will be revoked.
Why now?
The audit detected cases of drivers with valid licenses years after losing their legal status, and others hadn’t even shown original documents… Jesse Elison from the FMCSA believes the system doesn’t work and is broken.
The government’s fear is that there are undocumented drivers behind the wheel of 36-ton vehicles, a risk for anyone sharing the road with them.
Will logistics collapse?
That’s the big question right now, what happens to the supply chain. Especially in this country, which relies on road transportation. Duffy claims there won’t be problems because there are enough truckers… But are there really that many?
The American Trucking Associations believes safety should not be negotiated and that you can’t look the other way when a state breaks the rules.
What are CDLs?
They are permits for foreign drivers who work legally in the U.S. They were created to fill gaps in the industry. Mexico and Canada are not included in this rule because their licenses are already recognized, but these permits have been a lifeline for companies that didn’t have enough drivers to cover their operations.
Politics and business
It seems like a coincidence, but when we talk about migration in this country, we know it’s not. Border security is at the center of the political debate, and they want to prioritize “American talent” over foreign workers, so no, this is not just an administrative adjustment.
This measure also affects companies that rely on these workers, workers who depended on these licenses as their only way to work, and, in general, the image of road safety.
The government is against migration, and this time it has fallen on the trucking sector. Yes, there should be regulation, of course!! But we know there’s more behind this story, we know there’s politics and migration control. The only sure thing is that states, companies, and drivers will have to move fast if they don’t want to face fines.