WASHINGTON — A pair of Republican lawmakers urged Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy Tuesday to research packages that churn out industrial driver’s licenses (CDL) following a pair of deadly crashes involving unlawful immigrant operators.
Duffy took steps final month to crack down on CDL distribution to international drivers, however Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) and Rep. Andy Barr (R-Ky.) warned in a letter to the secretary that there are different abuses plaguing so-called “CDL mills.”
“CDL mills are substandard coaching packages that provide fast credentials, and up to date incidents and experiences point out these mills are prioritizing quantity over correct security and coaching necessities,” wrote Cotton and Barr, arguing that the packages are profiting from federal rules and producing “minimally skilled drivers with little regard for real-world proficiency.”
“These operations supply rushed, test-focused programs with little to no hands-on expertise, leaving new entrants ill-equipped to deal with the real-world calls for of interstate trucking,” they added.
“This probe ought to rigorously assess whether or not CDL coaching packages are upholding ELDT [Entry-Level Driver Training] requirements, notably with behind-the-wheel coaching, pre-trip inspections, and on-road proficiency.”
The letter comes days after Cotton and Barr rolled out the Safe Business Driver Licensing Act of 2025 to stop unlawful immigrants from acquiring CDLs
That legislation was impressed by the August arrest of Harjinder Singh, an unlawful immigrant from India who allegedly brought on an accident by trying an unlawful U-turn with an 18-wheeler via an “Official Use Solely” zone, killing three folks in Fort Pierce, Fla.
In response to investigators with the Florida Lawyer Common’s Workplace, the Washington state firm that skilled Singh to get his CDL attested that he might communicate English, though he struggled to take action proficiently.
Singh acquired a CDL from Washington state regardless of failing his information examination 10 instances between March 10, 2023, and Might 5, 2023.
The motive force subsequently acquired a CDL from California, the place greater than 1 / 4 of such licenses issued to foreigners have been decided to have been accomplished so improperly, in accordance to the Division of Transportation.
One week earlier than Cotton and Barr despatched their letter, Jashanpreet Singh, one other unlawful immigrant driver from India, allegedly crashed his semi-truck into slow-moving visitors on Interstate 10 in San Bernardino County, Calif., whereas underneath the affect of medication, killing three folks and injuring at the very least 4 others.
The Safe Business Driver Licensing Act of 2025 would mandate that each one testing to get a CDL be carried out in English and provides the Transportation Secretary the facility to revoke a state’s authority to situation CDLs to foreigners.
Duffy had taken emergency motion final month to clamp down on foreigners’ skill to acquire CDLs and threatened to freeze funding for California if it did not take corrective measures inside a month.
“Whereas Congress works to move the laws, we strongly encourage DOT to make use of its rulemaking authority to make additional adjustments like obligatory coaching hours behind the wheel for CDLs,” Cotton and Barr added.
The Publish reached out to the Division of Transportation for remark.
