ATA Renews Call for Stricter Federal Safety Enforcement
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American Trucking Associations is renewing its call for stricter enforcement of federal safety laws in the wake of a fatal truck-involved crash in August.
“The egregious crash in Florida that destroyed three innocent lives and grabbed national attention lays bare why the American Trucking Associations has been calling for a surge in enforcement to ensure bad actors do not jeopardize the safety of our nation’s highways,” ATA President . “It is exactly why we say the nation’s truck driver shortage is not about numbers; it’s about qualifications.”
Spear was referring to an Aug. 12 crash in which truck driver Harjinder Singh is alleged to have attempted a U-turn at an unauthorized location, blocking lanes of approaching traffic with his trailer. A minivan collided with the trailer, killing three occupants. The crash occurred on the Florida Turnpike in St. Lucie County.
California in July 2024 issued Singh a limited-term/non-domiciled commercial driver license. Florida state troopers with assistance from federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents determined that Singh in 2018 entered the United States illegally by crossing the Mexico border. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration in August launched an investigation into the issuance of this CDL to determine if it was issued in accordance with federal regulations.
“America doesn’t lack people who seek commercial driver’s licenses,” Spear stressed. “What we lack are qualified drivers who meet the high standards of professionalism and safety that our industry expects and the law demands.”
He added, “Qualified means you can speak English, read road signs, understand safety rules and respect our laws.”
(American Trucking Associations via YouTube)
In addition to the investigation into the Aug. 12 crash and the issuance of the California CDL, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Aug. 26 set a 30-day deadline for three states to comply with federal requirements. California, New Mexico and Washington must begin enforcement of the agency's recently renewed English-language proficiency mandates for truckers or forfeit a total of $50.5 million in federal funds.Duffy in a media briefing said an FMCSA investigation found significant failures by all three states to follow federal guidelines to place drivers out of service for violating English-language proficiency requirements.
“We are not going to tolerate states that don’t comply with the rules that come from this department,” Duffy said. “We don’t want to punish the states. We want them to comply.”
Duffy. (Aaron Schwartz/Bloomberg)
Spear likewise praised this move. “By putting states that refuse to enforce the federal English Language Proficiency requirement on notice, USDOT is doing what’s necessary to protect the motoring public.” He added, “Safety regulations only work when they are consistently enforced. And if you can’t read road signs in America, you can’t drive a truck in America. Period.”
Spear also praised a recent White House move to block foreign drivers from obtaining visas to drive commercial trucks on U.S. roads. Announcing that move, Secretary of State Marco Rubio in an Aug. 21 social media post said, “The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailer trucks on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers.”
Spear commented, “Until we know where breakdowns in [the] system are happening, and until enforcement is ramped up, adding more drivers into a flawed oversight process only increases the risk to the motoring public.”
(American Trucking Associations via YouTube)
He stressed, however, that more must be done.
“We need to ensure all federal regulations are evenly enforced by every state,” Spear said. “That includes entry-level driver training standards so that new entrants to the industry can’t skirt the base requirements of the job. Too many shady training providers across the nation are operating CDL mills, foregoing federally required curriculum to fast-track prospective drivers for a fee. These fraudulent entities put profit over safety and need to be shut down immediately.
“That is partly why people who count every unqualified applicant as part of the ‘available driver pool’ are so dishonest. Counting all CDL holders, including the driver who caused this month’s fatal accident in Florida, against the real shortage of qualified talent is reckless and self-serving.”
Amid the urgency of these calls, Spear stressed that most truckers get their jobs done safely and efficiently.
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“The overwhelming majority of America’s 3.5 million professional truck drivers take immense pride in their work,” he said. “They meet every requirement, every day, and they move our economy forward with skill and responsibility. But when unqualified drivers are allowed behind the wheel, they tarnish the reputation of the entire industry and undermine public trust.”
Spear added, “We will continue to fight for strong enforcement of federal regulations, for states to uphold their obligations. The safety of the motoring public is not negotiable.
“America runs on trucking, and trucking only runs safely when qualified professionals are behind the wheel. Lowering the bar doesn’t just threaten freight. It threatens lives.”
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