Mark Colson, President & CEO of the Alabama Trucking Association, issued the following statement today in response to U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s announcement to increase enforcement actions against non-domiciled CDL holders.
“Bad actors do not belong in trucking and this emergency action by USDOT is an another important step to improve highway safety, national security, and fairness in America’s trucking industry.
In Alabama, the Alabama Trucking Association has been working diligently on this issue and many others with our federal delegation, the Governor’s office, and law enforcement, and we will continue to advocate for the highest standards for safety and security in transportation that will create a level playing field for Alabama’s hard-working trucking professionals.
The playbook to getting bad actors out of trucking and preventing their entrance isn’t complicated but it does require focus and consistency of enforcement in the short, medium, and long term. We are committed to Highway safety and fairness in trucking!“
Background:
This recent action by USDOT Secretary Duffy to crack down on improperly issued non-domiciled CDLs by some states is a continuance of actions to address safety and fairness in trucking. Earlier this year, the President issued an Executive Order enforcing the English Language Proficiency standards and Secretary Rubio issued a pause on certain Visas to ensure their proper issuance. There are additional issues that need to be addressed urgently to ensure highway safety and prevent bad actors from operating such as:
1. stricter measures are required to combat the fraudulent use of USDOT numbers and the manipulation of motor carrier (MC) numbers. These tactics enable bad actors and cargo thieves to operate by acquiring legitimate MC numbers to carry out their schemes. This is one of the main tools used by those who commit broker fraud. Simply put, weneed to make sure folks are doing the right thing on the front end rather than trying to catch them on the back end.
2. Preventing cross-border visa drivers overstaying their allowances and hauling domestic freight, which is already illegal as well as combating fraudulent CDLs issued by foreign governments.
3. Cracking down on fraudulent or non-compliant CDL training providers who do not uphold existing entry level training standards. These training providers must not be allowed to operate.
4. Ensuring electronic log devices (ELDs) cannot be manipulated by the driver, service provider or any third party.
Addressing and correcting these issues (among others) will not only create a safer environment on our roads and highways, but also increase our national security.
