According to a new federal report and whistleblower testimony, America’s trucking industry is facing a serious safety and economic threat.
Illegal immigrant drivers are getting commercial licenses in so-called “sanctuary” states like California and New York.
That’s bad news for everyone – including here in Nevada, where nearly everything we eat, wear, or buy arrives on a truck.
A Deadly Warning Sign
Mike Kucharski, co-owner of JKC Trucking in Illinois, told Fox News that illegal commercial drivers are “killing the trucking business.”
He said this problem has been growing for years, but only recently caught national attention after several deadly crashes involving illegal truckers – including one in California that killed three people.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy released a federal report accusing the California DMV of breaking federal law by giving a commercial driver’s license to a foreign national involved in that crash.
The report says Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration ignored federal orders to stop issuing those licenses and revoke the ones already granted.
That failure, in Duffy’s words, cost “three innocent souls.”
How the System Was Exploited
Federal investigators found California’s licensing system full of “systemic policy, procedural, and programming errors.”
In other words, the state kept issuing CDLs to non-citizens – even after their work permits expired.
States like California and New York issue “non-domiciled” CDLs to foreign nationals who are here legally for temporary work.
But Kucharski said those loopholes are being used by illegal immigrants to get behind the wheel of big rigs.
That creates two big problems: unsafe roads and unfair competition.
“As a business owner, I was thinking, ‘Well, who is taking all these loads?’ Now I could figure it out … these [non-domiciled] drivers are coming in and doing it for cheaper … they don’t have Social Security numbers, and I assume they’re probably not filing for taxes. So, if you’re not going to pay all your bills, of course, you can do it cheaper and keep on trucking.”
Small trucking companies can’t keep up.
“All our truckers are fighting for the same load, and it goes to the lowest bidder,” he went on. “If you have these drivers coming in that are non-domiciled, they have no family here, they have no home, they live in their truck… They’re saying, ‘OK, look, all the market’s doing for $2,000, we’ll do it for $1,700.’ So, it’s putting small trucking businesses out of business every day.”
The Crisis Rolling Into Nevada
Nevada isn’t California, but what happens on the coast doesn’t stay there.
Thousands of trucks travel through our state every day, hauling food, fuel, and freight from the ports to warehouses and stores.
If unqualified or illegal drivers are behind the wheel, Nevadans are the ones sharing the highway with them.
According to the Nevada Department of Transportation, about 80 percent of the goods used in Nevada arrive by truck.
Public safety depends on keeping those drivers trained, legal, and properly licensed.
The Trump Administration’s Fix
After the California scandal broke, the Department of Transportation issued a new rule to tighten CDL standards nationwide.
Under the rule, any non-domiciled CDL must expire when the driver’s immigration status does – or after one year, whichever comes first.
States must also verify each applicant’s legal status through the federal SAVE system and keep proof on file for at least two years.
Kucharski said the change is long overdue.
“The trucking industry depends on trust,” he said, “That means ensuring every driver on the road is properly licensed, well-trained, and mentally and physically fit to operate heavy equipment.”
California Doubles Down on Bad Policy
A spokesperson for Gov. Newsom told Fox News that California “continues to follow federal rules.”
They claimed the Trump administration is trying to “restrict refugees, DACA holders, and others” from getting CDLs.
But many in the trucking world would disagree.
Rules Exist for a Reason
Here’s the truth: American truckers play by the rules, pay taxes, and work hard to keep goods moving.
Meanwhile, some states are handing out licenses to people who shouldn’t have them in the first place.
That’s not compassion. That’s chaos.
For every driver, business owner, and family sharing the road, it’s time to close the loopholes – before more innocent people pay the price.
The opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Nevada News & Views. This article was written with the assistance of AI. Please verify information and consult additional sources as needed.
