US revokes 28,000 immigrant truck licences, may hit Indian drivers
The Donald Trump administration has revoked the commercial driver's licences of more than 28,000 immigrant truck drivers as part of a crackdown on non-citizen drivers while launching a programme to replace them with US military veterans. The move could significantly affect thousands of Indian truckers, particularly those from Punjab and Haryana working in the US trucking industry.
The Trump administration has revoked commercial driver's licences (CDLs) of over 28,000 immigrant truck drivers as part of a crackdown on non-citizen drivers, potentially affecting thousands of Indian drivers. The decision comes after a fatal crash in August 2025, when a truck driver allegedly made an illegal U-turn, killing three people.
The administration claims that the revoked licences belonged to immigrants who failed to demonstrate adequate English proficiency, which is a requirement for safely operating commercial vehicles. Additionally, the government has shut down 9,500 driving schools for allegedly helping non-citizens obtain licences despite failing to meet federal standards.
To counter the expected shortage of drivers, the administration has launched the Freedom Haulers campaign, which targets military veterans to enter the trucking industry. The initiative allows veterans with prior experience in operating large military vehicles to bypass the commercial driving skills test and obtain a CDL more quickly.
Written by urgent.news from Times of India's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
