A recent series of deadly crashes involving foreign drivers has sparked concerns over the ‘No Name Given’ commercial license loophole.
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.—A fully loaded semi-truck barreling down the interstate is like a 40-ton projectile on 18 wheels. In the hands of an untrained driver, it becomes a potential weapon, according to Richard, a truck driver from Oklahoma.
“They don’t stop on a dime, I’ll tell you that,” Richard said as he walked into the Little America truck stop off the I-40 in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Richard, bearded with long hair and a bandana, said he hasn’t been driving long. But like other truckers, he’s already seen plenty of foreign drivers behind the wheel of these huge trucks.
He doesn’t know who has had proper training and who hasn’t. What he does know is that he paid $4,300 for a six-week truck driving course where he learned the fundamentals of road safety.
Like growing numbers in the trucking industry, Richard is concerned, applauding a recent undercover effort to get illegal immigrant truck drivers off the road and out of his home state. Some of these drivers were “No Name Given” commercial license holders, meaning they are people from other countries certified without showing proper ID.
Such loopholes are now in the crosshairs of the Department of Transportation, following a federal review that found that some states have issued licenses to foreign drivers in error, and after a recent series of deadly crashes involving foreign drivers.
The rigors of obtaining a license are still fresh for Richard, who got his commercial driver’s license recently.
Most passed the tough course. Others did not, he said.
“Some people struggled with it. But it’s very thorough,” Richard, who didn’t want his last name used, told The Epoch Times.
“From what we learned in terms of safety, it’s just knowing who’s on the road.”
Richard said he supports stricter state and federal rules for anyone driving an 80,000-pound semi, because public safety is at risk.
A recent study by the trucking magazine Overdrive found there are about 60,000 active “non-domicile” commercial license holders who work but do not live in the United States.
The study was based on a detailed check of records in all 50 states.
By Allan Stein
