Department of Transport Takes Action on Trucking Safety
The Department of Transport, led by Sean Duffy, is stepping up measures to enhance road safety in light of rising accidents involving non-English-speaking truck drivers.
Concerns about safety and national security in the trucking sector gained traction last month after reports of illegal immigrants, who received commercial driver’s licenses in California, being implicated in a deadly shipwreck in Florida.
Duffy announced “emergency action” during a press conference Friday, underscoring the urgency of the situation.
The DOT disclosed findings from an audit by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Bureau, which identified widespread noncompliance among state driver licensing agencies in several states, including California, Colorado, and Texas.
“It’s not a proposal. This is the final rule, and it takes effect immediately,” Duffy stated. He emphasized that non-citizens can only obtain a commercial driver’s license (CDL) if they meet stricter requirements, and urged states to pause issuing certain licenses until compliance is assured.
Duffy’s message was straightforward: “If you comply now or risk losing funding, you’ll enforce the rules.” California was highlighted as particularly problematic, with over a quarter of the licenses issued improperly.
The audit uncovered a troubling trend, revealing that some states have improperly granted licenses to foreign drivers. Even licenses that adhered to existing regulations posed risks, culminating in a significant danger to road safety.
The department linked the issuance of many flawed licenses to inadequate training and errors in processing applications. Some licenses were even valid beyond the lawful presence of the drivers in the U.S.
The DOT has presented examples showing California-issued licenses that extended beyond the period they were supposed to be valid. For instance, one license was found to have an expiration date set way past the work approval period of the driver.
In conclusion, the DOT has suspended the issuance of certain licenses in California until the state can identify and address expired licenses that violate regulations.
Interim rules have been put in place to tighten requirements for non-dominant commercial learners, mandating that foreign applicants meet stricter conditions, including comprehensive federal immigration checks.
Duffy previously warned that federal funds could be withdrawn from states failing to uphold drivers’ English proficiency standards. At that time, California was receiving $30 million from the DOT.
