Truckers Sound Alarm Over Unqualified Immigrant Drivers and Industry Cheating Scandals
There’s growing tension across America’s trucking industry right now — and it’s not just about long hours or tight delivery deadlines. Truckers and industry insiders are sounding the alarm about what they call a dangerous trend — illegal immigrants obtaining commercial driver’s licenses and getting behind the wheel of big rigs without proper qualifications. Many say this isn’t just a paperwork issue; it’s a full-blown safety crisis unfolding on American highways.
On Fox News, leaders from American Truckers United , Harvey Beech and Shannon Everett, claimed that relaxed licensing standards — introduced to ease the driver shortage — have opened the door to unqualified drivers. According to them, this “foreign invasion” of the industry is creating daily struggles for lawful truckers and endangering lives on the road. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy have both called out sanctuary states for allegedly allowing illegal immigrants to obtain commercial licenses.
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A recent federal operation called Midway Blitz reportedly removed over 200 unqualified drivers, including 46 semi-truck operators, from American highways. Officials revealed that many of the commercial licenses were issued across multiple states, raising serious questions about oversight. Everett noted that the situation has exploded over the last five years as states lowered standards in an attempt to fill trucking jobs.
One of the flashpoints in this debate is California. Following a deadly crash in October involving an unlicensed immigrant truck driver, state officials came under fire. Governor Gavin Newsom’s office pushed back, saying California’s licensing process follows federal rules — and even claimed that its commercial drivers have a lower fatal crash rate than the national average.
But the problem doesn’t end with unlicensed drivers. In Illinois, trucking company owner Zach Meiborg says many immigrant drivers are actually being exploited by “cheater” trucking companies that break safety laws to stay competitive. According to Meiborg, some companies — often based overseas — are erasing electronic logbook data to give drivers extra hours on the road. He says this illegal practice makes it impossible for honest, law-abiding American carriers to compete.
“These drivers are victims, too,” Meiborg explained. “They’re coming from places where even $5,000 a year is life-changing. They’re promised good pay here, but end up caught in a system that pushes them to break rules.”
Truckers across the country are now urging federal regulators to enforce the laws already on the books — not just create new ones. As Beech put it, the American trucking industry is the backbone of the economy, but it’s being weakened from within. Many drivers believe that unless enforcement catches up with reality, both road safety and fair competition could be at serious risk.
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