Concerns Over New York’s Commercial Truck Licenses
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy issued a significant warning on Friday, suggesting that $73 million in federal highway funds earmarked for New York could be confiscated. This comes in light of an audit revealing that over half of the commercial truck licenses in the state were improperly issued to foreign-born drivers.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) examined all foreign commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) administered by New York’s Department of Land Transportation and discovered an alarming 53% failure rate.
“When more than half of the licenses assessed were found to be illegally issued, it’s not just an oversight; it’s a severe failure on the part of state leadership,” Duffy remarked.
He further stated that Governor Hochul needs to promptly revoke these licenses and suggested that federal highway funding should be withheld if compliance with the law isn’t met.
Duffy has granted Hochul and her administration a 30-day period to respond to these concerns.
The FMCSA’s audit reviewed 200 CDL records, determining that 107 were issued in violation of the regulations, as highlighted in a release from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Moreover, the current practices of the New York DMV show a troubling trend; they’re reportedly failing to issue eight-year licenses to foreign drivers lacking REAL ID licenses, irrespective of the status of their legal residency. The release also mentions that DMV officials sometimes utilized expired documentation to grant commercial licenses.
Mr. Duffy has urged an immediate halt to the issuance of new licenses and learner permits, insisting on a thorough audit by the state government to rectify the situation.
A spokesperson for Governor Hochul did not provide a comment regarding the issue.
FMCSA Secretary Derek Bars echoed Duffy’s concerns, stating that the practices of the New York DMV represent a serious deviation from federal guidelines that threatens the integrity of the CDL program in the state. He emphasized the need for swift action to audit and revoke all improperly issued licenses.
