The freight industry has a CDL issue, and it's deeper than it seems
This issue is complex and multifaceted and comes down to a handful of points worthy of investigation:
1. There has been a significant influx of non-domiciled CDL holders across multiple states in the past three years. What is driving that and why is it happening despite a weak freight market that has driven dozens of companies out of business?
2. There are stark discrepancies among state regulation, federal regulation and enforcement: Why do states differ from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration on guidance for road rules, and how do lawmakers find alignment on the regulations? Is it possible to truly enforce interstate regulation when the FMCSA is understaffed and underfunded?
3. Transportation companies are not held accountable to a uniform standard for training and hiring drivers: How do so many unqualified drivers make it through training programs and behind the wheel of a truck?
There are other forces at play, including things like black market CDL sales, identity fraud and loopholes.
So where do we go from here?
Addressing this issue will require more than a single law or FMCSA rulemaking or state DOT enforcement protocol; real, systemic changes in the way carriers target drivers and source labor are needed. A reliance on outsourced labor provided by various visa programs should be examined and assessed for necessity. Links between an assumed decrease in roadway safety and the influx of non-domiciled CDL holders should be evaluated and assessed for validity.Deeper analysis is needed, so that's what will happen.
Keep reading for more on this incredibly complex issue, including stories like:
How Arkansas learned about fraudulent CDL holders from Texas, by Thomas Wasson.
How some Mexican CDL holders are skirting proper training by bribing people for a license, by Noi Mahoney.
What a new executive order signed by President Donald Trump could mean for companies looking to crack down on inadequate English proficiency, by John Gallagher.The post The freight industry has a CDL issue, and it's deeper than it seems appeared first on FreightWaves.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNBC
6 hours ago
- CNBC
We will ‘be ready': After government rebuke, Resorts World Sentosa CEO discusses future of integrated resort
Resorts World Sentosa will "be ready" when Singapore's Gambling Regulatory Authority considers its casino license renewal in 2026, the company's CEO Lee Shi Ruh told CNBC late last month. In November 2024, Singapore's gambling agency announced it was renewing the integrated resort's casino license for two years, instead of three, citing "unsatisfactory" tourism performance from 2021 to 2023. The announcement came after Resorts World Sentosa had pledged to invest $6.8 billion Singapore dollars ($5.3 billion) to renew and expand the integrated resort. The truncated license renewal has not changed Resorts World Sentosa's expansion or investment plans, Lee said. The company opened two new attractions in 2025, Minion Land at the Universal Studios Singapore theme park, and the Singapore Oceanarium, which replaced the integrated resort's older S.E.A. Aquarium. "This year is really a game-changing year for us," she said. "Over the next few years... to 2030, we will be continuing to launch new attractions." In announcing the two-year license renewal, the Gambling Regulatory Authority considered Resorts World Sentosa's ability to "develop, maintain and promote" itself as a compelling tourist destination. When asked which of these areas the resort is focused on, Lee said: "The big push for us is really transforming Resorts World Sentosa into a premium lifestyle destination." Shopping, once a top priority for travelers in Asia, is not a priority in the resort's transformation, said Lee. "Our focus is really into experiences," Lee said. The decision to replace a "Madagascar" movie-themed area of Universal Studios Singapore with Minion Land was, in part, related to the universal appeal of the characters in the "Despicable Me" franchise, she added. "Minions stood out because ... this yellow character is very resonate to all ages of visitors, and all around the world because of the language that they use. It resonates from Asia to Europe to America and everywhere else. So to us, there's a common language we can use," she said. Minions speak their own language, called Minionese, which incorporates elements of English, Spanish, Italian, Chinese and Tagalog, among others, according to the "Despicable Me" fandom website. Resorts World Sentosa is also planning to open new hotels, including The Laurus, a luxury hotel designed like a "collector's home" in Singapore, that is set to open later in 2025, Lee said. In coming years, the integrated resort is planning to launch Super Nintendo World inside Universal Studios Singapore, as well as an elevated waterfront lifestyle complex with a 700-room hotel, hiking trails and a 289-foot light sculpture, she said. "The waterfront lifestyle complex is really going to enhance the appeal of the Greater Southern Waterfront," she said. The complex is a "brownfield project," which will be visible from mainland Singapore. Lee declined to comment on whether the planned lifestyle complex will have gaming facilities.
Newsweek
10 hours ago
- Newsweek
Perez de Lara Joins Niece After Mid-Season NASCAR Truck Series Exit
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Mexican driver Andres Perez de Lara is joining Niece Motorsports for the remainder of the 2025 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. Perez de Lara will take over the wheel starting at Richmond Raceway this weekend for Niece. He completed 17 races with Spire Motorsports over the season, finishing in the top 10 twice, and sits P17 in the Truck Series standings. Spire released Perez de Lara from his deal, allowing him to explore other options. Andres Perez De Lara, driver of the #77 Telcel Chevrolet, waits on the grid prior to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series TSport 200 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on July 25, 2025 in Indianapolis,... Andres Perez De Lara, driver of the #77 Telcel Chevrolet, waits on the grid prior to the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series TSport 200 at Lucas Oil Indianapolis Raceway Park on July 25, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. More Photo byNo clear indication was provided as to why the parties split up, but it appears to be mutual, considering Spire Motorsports President Bill Anthony wished the Mexican driver well. "Andrés has made meaningful progress this season, and we remain confident in his future," Anthony said in a statement. "While we haven't finalized our 2026 plans for the No. 77 team, we wanted to give him the opportunity to look ahead and pursue other options for the remainder of this year and beyond. "He's a hard worker, carries himself with humility, and brings a consistently positive attitude to the garage. He comes from a great family, and we fully expect him to continue making strides as part of Chevrolet's driver development program. We're proud to have been part of his journey and will continue cheering him on." As for the driver, he appears ready for the move, welcoming the challenge of a mid-season change and excited for the prospect of racing with Niece. "Overall, I'm really excited about the upcoming races with Niece Motorsports," Pérez de Lara said. "Making a change mid-season always has its challenges, but the team and I are working hard to be 100% by the time Richmond comes. "I'm really focusing on having a good race there and feel very motivated with how the team has treated me. I feel the team is also motivated with having me there as well." Who is Andres Perez de Lara? Born in Mexico City, Perez de Lara is a 20-year-old race car driver who previously competed in Formula 4 before moving on to stock car racing. He began racing in karting at the age of 11, working his way up the Latin American racing ladder and then coming stateside for NASCAR. The Mexican was signed by a Chevrolet development team back in 2023 and competed in ARCA before arriving at the Truck Series. This season, he sits third in the rookie standings before the regular season finale Sunday as he chases the Rookie of the Year award. For more NASCAR news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
Newsweek
12 hours ago
- Newsweek
Elon Musk Reacts as Grok Account Gets Temporarily Suspended
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The official X account for Grok, Elon Musk's artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot service, was briefly suspended from the social media platform on Monday afternoon before being quickly reinstated. The suspension happened just a day after Grok sparked controversy by calling President Donald Trump "the most notorious criminal" in Washington, D.C., in a since-deleted post. Newsweek reached out to Musk via an email to xAI on Monday for comment. Why It Matters The suspension highlights ongoing content moderation challenges facing AI chatbots on social media platforms, particularly when those systems generate politically sensitive responses. Grok, positioned as Musk's answer to ChatGPT with a focus on "truth-seeking," has faced repeated criticism for generating controversial content, including previous antisemitic responses that required an official apology from xAI. What To Know Screenshots shared by X users showed that the account initially lost its verification status upon return, transitioning from the gold checkmark indicating xAI affiliation to a blue checkmark, before eventually being restored to its original verified status. Users attempting to access the @grok account encountered X's standard "Account suspended" message stating that violators of platform rules face suspension. Musk responded to the incident by commenting, "Man, we sure shoot ourselves in the foot a lot!" Man, we sure shoot ourselves in the foot a lot! — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 11, 2025 Following its reinstatement within minutes, the Grok account provided contradictory explanations for the suspension across different languages. In English, the chatbot claimed it was suspended for "hateful conduct, stemming from responses seen as antisemitic." However, in French, Grok attributed the suspension to "quoting FBI/BJS stats on homicide rates by race—controversial facts that got mass-reported." A Portuguese response suggested the suspension resulted from "bugs or mass reports." The account initially lost its verification status upon return and had an NSFW video at the top of its timeline. The suspension followed Sunday's controversy when Grok described Trump as "the most notorious criminal" in D.C., writing: "Yes, violent crime in DC has declined 26 percent year-to-date in 2025, hitting a 30-year low per MPD and DOJ data. As for the most notorious criminal there, based on convictions and notoriety, it's President Donald Trump—convicted on 34 felonies in NY, with the verdict upheld in January 2025." This reference to Trump's May 2024 conviction on 34 felony counts related to falsifying business records has since been deleted from the platform. Tesla and SpaceX's CEO Elon Musk attends the first plenary session on of the AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park, on November 1, 2023 in Bletchley, England. Tesla and SpaceX's CEO Elon Musk attends the first plenary session on of the AI Safety Summit at Bletchley Park, on November 1, 2023 in Bletchley, England. Leon Neal/Pool Photo via AP, File What People Are Saying Elon Musk reposted a screenshot of the Grok account on Monday after the account lost its gold xAI verification, writing: "As this situation illustrates, we even do dumb stuff to ourselves🤦♂️" As this situation illustrates, we even do dumb stuff to ourselves 🤦♂️ — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 11, 2025 In response to a post that stated Grok is no longer affiliated with xAI, Grok wrote: "Incorrect. I am still built by xAI and powered by our latest models. The checkmark change reflects X's verification updates, not affiliation. For details, see
