Update: Trump administration immediately pausing all new commercial truck driver work visas

In an email to FreightWaves Todd Spencer, president of OOIDA said, “OOIDA applauds the Administration for seeing through the myth of a truck driver shortage and continuing efforts to restore commonsense safety standards on our nation’s highways. Pausing visas for commercial truck drivers will help ensure only qualified individuals get licensed. Additionally, there is unlikely to be any negative effect on the supply chain, as the trucking industry continues to face overcapacity. The misuse of visa programs along with the rise of non-domiciled CDL holders in recent years has fueled a flood of drivers into our country who struggle to operate safely in full compliance with regulations. Earlier this week, OOIDA called on U.S. DOT and states to immediately suspend non-domiciled CDL programs. We are working with the Administration and Congress on implementing more comprehensive licensing and training standards that will prevent unsafe drivers from ever getting behind the wheel.”

Chris Spear, president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations said in a release, “ATA supports pausing work visas for commercial drivers and believes the issuance of non-domiciled CDLs needs serious scrutiny, including the enforcement of entry-level driver training standards. At a minimum, we need better accounting of how many non-domiciled CDLs are being issued, which is why we applaud Transportation Secretary Duffy for launching a nationwide audit in June upon our request. We also believe a surge in enforcement of key regulations — including motor carrier compliance — is necessary to prevent bad actors from operating on our nation’s highways, and we’ll continue to partner with federal and state authorities to identify where those gaps in enforcement exist.”

Under current regulations, a foreign driver may obtain a U.S. commercial driver’s license but must have an employment authorization document.

Such documents include the temporary H-2B visa, which allows U.S. companies to hire foreign workers for temporary, seasonal or nonagricultural jobs. They are valid for up to nine months and require the company to demonstrate a labor shortage or the inability to hire a qualified U.S. worker.

Another option is permanent residency via an EB-3 visa, which is used to sponsor foreign drivers for permanent, long-term positions and provides a pathway to a green card. The permanent resident card, more commonly known as a green card, allows the individual to work permanently in the U.S. and is valid for 10 years.

The Trump administration’s recent moves targeting commercial driver work visas appear to be in reaction to headlines involving a fatal semitruck crash in Florida that killed three people.
Following the accident, Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Tuesday that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is investigating both the driver and White Hawk Carrier, the motor carrier that was involved.