Truck driver Richard from Oklahoma expressed his concerns about the dangers of inexperienced drivers operating heavy trucks loaded with goods on highways. He likened a fully loaded semi-truck to a 40-ton projectile with 18 wheels, stating that in the hands of non-professional drivers, it could pose a potential threat.
“They aren’t something you can just stop whenever you want, let me tell you,” Richard said as he walked into the “Little America” truck stop off Highway 40 in Flagstaff, Arizona.
With long hair, a beard, and a headscarf, Richard mentioned having limited driving experience but, like many truck drivers, he had witnessed numerous foreign drivers handling these large trucks. He admitted not knowing who had received proper training and who hadn’t, but he himself had spent $4,300 on a six-week truck driving course to learn basic road safety.
As the trucking industry continues to expand, Richard worries about the implications. He voiced his support for a recent enforcement operation aimed at cracking down on illegal immigrant truck drivers and driving them out of the state. Some drivers possess “No Name” commercial driver’s licenses, indicating they come from other countries without presenting valid identification.
This loophole has raised concerns at the U.S. Department of Transportation. An audit by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) found that some states had mistakenly issued licenses to foreign drivers, contributing to a series of recent fatal accidents involving foreign drivers.
For Richard, who recently obtained his commercial driver’s license, the rigorous process to acquire the license remains vivid in his memory. He mentioned that while most people struggled through the challenging course, some didn’t make it.
“Some people find it very challenging. The content of the studies is very comprehensive,” Richard, who preferred not to disclose his last name, told Epoch Times.
“Based on the safety knowledge we have learned, the key is to know who is on the road.”
Richard stated his support for stricter state and federal regulations for drivers of 80,000-pound semi-trucks, citing public safety concerns.
Overdrive, a leading media outlet in the U.S. trucking industry, recently conducted research revealing approximately 60,000 active “non-resident” commercial driver’s license holders working in the U.S. but not living there. The study was based on detailed records from all 50 states.
On September 29, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt announced that in the “Guardian Action,” state law enforcement agencies conducted a three-day operation with federal immigration officials, apprehending over 125 illegal immigrant drivers on Interstate 40 in western Oklahoma.
Most of the apprehended drivers hailed from countries such as India, Uzbekistan, China, Russia, Georgia, Turkey, Tajikistan, Ukraine, and Mauritania.
The operation uncovered multiple illegal immigrant holders of commercial truck driver’s licenses issued by sanctuary states.
On October 10, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) revealed that Oklahoma authorities arrested an Indian man who illegally entered the U.S. in 2023 and was released during the Biden administration.
On September 23, as part of the “Guardian Action,” the Oklahoma Highway Patrol intercepted a driver at a truck weighing station along Highway 40, where they requested identification. The man presented a New York commercial driver’s license under the name “Anmol” with the surname labeled as “No Name Given.”
Governor Stitt stated in a release, “If New York wants to give nameless illegal immigrants driver’s licenses, that’s their business. But once these individuals enter Oklahoma, they must comply with our laws, which are essential for safeguarding our citizens’ safety.”
Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin remarked in a statement, “Allowing illegal immigrants to obtain commercial driver’s licenses and drive 18-wheelers transporting hazardous materials on U.S. roads is reckless and extremely dangerous, severely threatening public safety.”
McLaughlin singled out New York as the “culprit,” emphasizing that the state failed to verify whether applicants for licenses to drive large trucks were U.S. citizens.
She added that New York neglected to collect full legal names from commercial license holders.
Walter McLure, a spokesperson for the New York Department of Motor Vehicles, disclosed to a New York media outlet that Anmol’s commercial driver’s license was issued on April 14 and is valid for five years.
McLure stated that the approval process complied with regulations, verifying the applicant’s immigration status in federal databases, confirming the driver’s lawful presence in the U.S.
Since January, there have been several fatal accidents involving illegal immigrant truck drivers, including one in Florida that resulted in three fatalities. The federal government has taken new measures to avoid similar tragedies.
On September 26, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced an emergency regulation to strengthen the management of non-resident driver’s licenses, making it more challenging for around 200,000 non-citizen drivers to obtain commercial learner’s permits and commercial driver’s licenses after a national review by FMCSA and a series of recent fatal accidents involving foreign drivers.
FMCSA’s review revealed several states had widespread non-compliance issues with non-resident commercial driver’s licenses, with California’s problem being the most severe.
The FMCSA found that regulatory oversights, inadequate training, and computer errors led to the issuance of non-resident licenses to drivers who shouldn’t have received them, including some with expired U.S. residency permits.
In California, the review discovered over 25% of non-resident licenses were erroneously issued.
Duffy described…