LITTLE ROCK, ARK. – The Arkansas Trucking Association today joined trucking organizations nationwide in recognizing significant federal and state progress to remove illegal operators, strengthen regulatory oversight and restore fairness for motor carriers and professional drivers who follow the rules.
The results are documented in a new report from the Trucking Association Executives Council and reflect a sustained partnership among the trucking industry, the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, state governments and law enforcement. Since TAEC released Trucking Resurgence: The Fight for Fairness and Safety last fall, officials have acted across nearly every priority identified in the industry-led plan, producing measurable results nationally and in Arkansas.
In Arkansas, Highway Police have placed 792 commercial drivers out of service for violations of federal English-language proficiency requirements. AHP has also transferred 555 individuals to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after traffic stops determined they were not legally present in the United States.
“At the Arkansas Highway Police, our main goal is simple: keeping our highways safe and protecting everyone on the road,” said Arkansas Highway Police Chief Jeff Holmes. “We use the latest technology and focused strategies to spot violations, get unsafe drivers off the road and make sure commercial vehicles are operating safely. By teaming up with FMCSA, DHS and our industry partners, we’re working together to make our highways safer for everyone.”
“This progress shows what can be accomplished when industry, regulators and law enforcement recognize a problem and work together toward solutions,” said Shannon Newton, president of the Arkansas Trucking Association. “Arkansas carriers invest every day in qualified drivers, safe equipment and regulatory compliance. Strong, consistent enforcement protects those investments, supports the professional men and women who follow the rules and makes our highways safer for everyone.”
The national progress report highlights extensive enforcement and reform efforts, including:
- Nearly 10,000 CDL schools removed from the federal Training Provider Registry, including 550 fraudulent schools that were shut down;
- $217 million in new federal investments in safety and CDL integrity;
- 704 investigations of high-risk carriers, with 430 carriers voluntarily ceasing operations and another 60 to 70 shut down;
- 3,200 visa revocations tied to cabotage enforcement;
- Audits of all 50 states’ CDL programs and non-domiciled CDL issuance;
- More than 194,000 non-domiciled CDLs that will no longer qualify under strengthened federal requirements;
- More than 27,000 drivers placed out of service for English-language proficiency violations; and
- 76 noncompliant electronic logging device platforms removed from the approved registry and another 426 blocked from entering the marketplace.
“FMCSA’s mission is to prevent crashes, fatalities and injuries involving large trucks and buses, and that requires a regulatory system with no room for fraud or deliberate noncompliance,” said FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs. “The overwhelming majority of motor carriers and professional drivers operate safely and responsibly. Our responsibility is to support those operators by identifying bad actors, enforcing the law and closing gaps that threaten highway safety and the integrity of the trucking industry. The progress reflected in this report shows what is possible when government, law enforcement and industry work together, and we remain committed to building on these results.”
The original Trucking Resurgence plan identified seven areas in which bad actors were exploiting weaknesses in existing systems: CDL integrity, federal motor carrier safety data, cross-border workforce integrity, non-domiciled CDLs, English-language proficiency, trucking fraud and electronic logging devices. Its recommendations emphasized better use of existing authority, stronger verification and more consistent enforcement instead of new requirements on carriers already operating safely and legally.
The Arkansas Trucking Association has supported the initiative since its launch and will continue working with FMCSA, Congress, state officials and law enforcement to strengthen driver qualifications, improve regulatory oversight and hold unsafe operators accountable.
“Focused enforcement has produced meaningful results, but the work is not finished,” Newton said. “We must continue building a regulatory system that rewards safe, responsible operations and acts decisively against those who disregard the law.”
The complete Trucking Resurgence Progress Report and original action plan are available at www.truckingresurgence.com.
