The U.S. trucking industry is facing significant challenges from the unlawful employment of foreign drivers, particularly those utilizing B-1 visas from Mexico and Canada. This practice, a direct violation of cabotage laws which restrict domestic freight transport to U.S. entities, involves these drivers undertaking point-to-point deliveries within the United States.
This illicit activity creates an uneven playing field, driving down freight rates and siphoning business from legitimate American trucking companies. The ripple effects are substantial, impacting not only U.S. businesses—with some small operators forced to close—but also adversely affecting the freight industry in neighboring countries like Mexico, as drivers are lured away by these illegal U.S. operations.
Industry stakeholders, including small business owners and major organizations like the American Trucking Associations (ATA), are sounding the alarm. Concerns are mounting over the proliferation of foreign trucks operated by B-1 visa holders on U.S. highways, directly undercutting local haulers. The ATA is actively advocating for more stringent enforcement of cabotage regulations and is urging U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to collaborate with other federal agencies to curb these illegal activities. The consensus is clear: the illegal deployment of foreign drivers is a detrimental factor contributing to current market instability and requires immediate and robust regulatory action.
