Trucking industry worries about lost drivers
The recent effort such as seen in Oklahoma where ICE, state troopers and law officers took dozens of commercial truckers into custody because they were either illegal immigrants or could not speak English is drawing strong backlash from leaders in the nation’s trucking industry.
The last such effort in Oklahoma occurred near Durant in November at the state’s southern border. It followed similar targeted enforcement efforts at the eastern port of entry and the western port as well as along Interstate 40. In the first such enforcement effort at Sayre, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested nearly 130 truckers.
Industry Leaders Warn of Massive Driver Losses
Industry leaders across the country say enforcement actions such as those carried out in Oklahoma already affect trucking operations nationwide, and they warn the impact could soon grow significantly.
For example, Shelley Simpson, CEO of Arkansas-headquartered freight shipping company JB Hunt Transport Services Inc., said recently she believes as many as 400,000 drivers will leave the industry because of enforcement actions. She called the number “meaningful” and explained the loss of those drivers would represent an estimated 11% of the total supply of commercial truck drivers.
DOT English Language Enforcement Expands
The U.S. Department of Transportation ordered inspectors at ports of entry to begin pulling drivers off the road for insufficient English skills, and that move already triggered 9,500 violations since June.
Some members of the trucking industry now complain the loss of drivers forces some operators to abandon their rigs in the middle of their routes, and as a result, insurance costs are rising.
Trump Executive Order Drives Enforcement
The executive order driving the expanded enforcement effort came in April, when President Trump called for “commonsense rules of the road” to be applied to U.S. truckers. In recent months, some tragic instances involving truckers who were illegally in the U.S. caused traffic crashes that killed numerous innocent drivers, adding urgency to the enforcement push.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy now leads the charge by issuing new guidance that instructs inspectors to place drivers out of service when they fail to demonstrate sufficient English language skills.
“Federal law is clear, a driver who cannot sufficiently read or speak English — our national language — and understand road signs is unqualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle in America,” Duffy said in a press release.
Oklahoma Among the Most Active Enforcement States
While Oklahoma has now conducted three major crackdowns along its major interstate routes, other states are also stepping up enforcement. Texas and Wyoming reportedly lead the way in enforcing the new DOT language requirements.
You can read more about the national impact of these enforcement actions through Insurance Journal.