US Revokes 28,000 Immigrant Trucking Licences: Indian Drivers Impacted

The US government has cancelled more than 28,000 commercial driver's licences belonging to immigrant truck drivers as part of a sweeping crackdown on non-citizen commercial drivers. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration had "cancelled thousands of commercial trucking licences issued to immigrant drivers".

Nearly 24,000 non-citizen commercial driver's licence holders lost their credentials after failing to meet federal English language proficiency standards, TOI reported. In addition, the administration worked with states to strike around 9,500 truck-driving schools from the registry of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for allegedly failing to meet federal training standards. The Trump administration described the move as an effort to tighten commercial driver regulations and boost highway safety.

Impact On Indian Drivers

Indian-origin truckers, particularly from Punjab and Haryana, constitute one of the largest immigrant groups in the US trucking industry. Around 130,000 to 150,000 commercial drivers in the US are from Punjab and Haryana, according to North American Punjabi Truckers Association data cited by TOI. Many entered the industry over the past two decades, and they now own transport firms or work as long-haul commercial drivers.

If enforcement expands, Indian drivers who fail to satisfy the updated English language compliance checks or whose licences face additional scrutiny could be suspended from service. The revocation of nearly 30,000 licences could worsen the current driver shortage, disrupt freight movement and put additional pressure on US supply chains, industry observers quoted by TOI reported.

Crackdown Sparked By Crash

The stricter enforcement follows a deadly crash in Florida in August 2025, where an Indian-origin truck driver allegedly made an illegal U-turn, killing three people. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the Indian-origin driver involved in the collision should never have received a commercial driver's licence.

Since then, about 26,000 truck drivers have been removed from service after failing English proficiency checks, officials stated. The Trump administration also threatened to withhold federal transit funding from states that failed to enforce English proficiency rules for commercial drivers, Reuters reported.

Veterans Recruited For Trucking

To address the workforce gap left by the cancellations, the administration launched the 'Freedom Haulers' initiative to recruit US military veterans into the commercial trucking sector. Veterans with experience driving heavy military vehicles will be allowed to skip the standard commercial driving skills test required to obtain a CDL, enabling them to enter the trucking industry more quickly, AP reported.

Donald Trump formally unveiled the programme alongside Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Veterans Affairs Secretary Douglas A. Collins and Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling.

The US Department of Transportation defended the initiative, stating it is intended to improve road safety while creating job opportunities for former military personnel. The department stated the programme is designed to help veterans secure commercial licences faster and transition into civilian employment.

"Illegal immigrants who can’t speak our language have no business getting behind the wheel of a big rig. Veterans, who have already demonstrated the grit, discipline and skills to take on this vital task, are the right people for the job," Duffy said.