Hold onto your steering wheels, folks—U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy just dropped a bombshell that’s rattling the trucking industry from coast to coast.
In a bold move announced on Friday and first reported by the Daily Caller, Duffy has launched a sweeping nationwide audit to probe whether the commercial driver’s licensing system is being exploited by unauthorized migrants, Daily Caller reported.
This story starts earlier in the year, back in March, when President Trump signed an executive order declaring English as the official language of the United States. Not long after, in April, Trump followed up with another directive specifically instructing the DOT to ensure truck drivers can read and speak English well enough to interact with the public. Turns out, clear communication on the road isn’t just polite—it’s a matter of safety.
By May 20, Secretary Duffy had signed his own order zeroing in on the trucking sector. Under this mandate, commercial motor vehicle drivers who fail to meet the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s long-standing English-language proficiency requirements will be deemed out-of-service. No exceptions, no excuses.
Now, with this new audit, Duffy is taking things a step further by scrutinizing states that issue non-domiciled Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs). The focus is on whether these states’ processes are tight enough to prevent unqualified individuals from getting behind the wheel of massive rigs.
“The open borders policies of the last administration allowed millions to flood our country,” Duffy told the Daily Caller, pointing to what he sees as a root cause. He’s not mincing words, and frankly, many hardworking truckers are nodding along, tired of loopholes that could endanger lives.
Duffy also emphasized the audit’s broader purpose, stating, “Today, we are launching a nationwide audit to get to the bottom of this.” It’s a direct response to growing concerns about road safety. And let’s be honest, when 80,000-pound trucks are barreling down highways, “getting to the bottom of this” feels like an understatement.
“Our audit is about protecting the safety of families on the road,” Duffy added in his statement. It’s hard to argue with that logic—every driver, regardless of background, must be qualified and properly documented. If states aren’t following federal rules, well, that’s a wreck waiting to happen.
President Trump’s executive order also laid out the stakes, noting truckers “should be able to read and understand traffic signs.” Common sense, right? Yet, somewhere along the line, enforcing this got lost in the bureaucratic shuffle.
Adding fuel to the fire, Census data analyzed by the Houston Chronicle shows a sharp rise in foreign-born truck drivers in recent years. While there’s no clear breakdown between legal and unauthorized migrants in these numbers, the trend has raised eyebrows.
American Truckers United, an advocacy group, has long sounded the alarm on this issue. “We’re trying to make a statement so that the feds will do something,” said cofounder Shannon Everett. It’s a cry for action that’s hard to ignore when livelihoods—and lives—are on the line.
Everett didn’t hold back, claiming foreign drivers are “killing American drivers” and hurting the industry’s bottom line. While the rhetoric is strong, the safety concern isn’t unfounded.
Take the tragic case reported by Fox 7 News, where Solomun Weldekeal Araya, a Dallas-based tractor-trailer driver, was arrested in March. Charged with five counts of intoxication manslaughter and two counts of intoxication assault after a deadly crash into a traffic jam, this incident underscores the stakes of unqualified or reckless driving.
Stories like this aren’t just statistics—they’re a gut punch to every family on the road. If Duffy’s audit can prevent even one such tragedy by ensuring only qualified drivers are licensed, most Americans would say it’s worth the effort.
After all, actions have consequences, and ignoring the rules of the road is a gamble we can’t afford.
