LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Arkansas Trucking Association applauds Arkansas Highway Police, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and their federal partners for Operation Highway Shield, a coordinated enforcement effort that identified unqualified drivers, unsafe commercial vehicles and criminal activity along Arkansas highways.
The 48-hour operation, conducted Oct. 27-29, included 1,724 commercial motor vehicle inspections and resulted in 393 drivers and commercial vehicles being placed out of service. Authorities identified more than 1,000 motor carrier safety violations and more than 330 unqualified or unauthorized drivers, including 183 English language proficiency disqualifications. 74 individuals were referred to ICE for immigration violations. The operation also resulted in 44 criminal arrests and the recovery of a stolen trailer.
“Arkansas trucking companies invest every day in qualified drivers, well-maintained equipment and the people and systems required to operate safely,” said Shannon Newton, president of the Arkansas Trucking Association. “They deserve to know that the companies operating beside them are being held to the same standards. When someone cuts corners on safety or operates outside the rules, it undermines responsible businesses and puts everyone sharing the highway at risk. This is why our industry has been such a strong advocate for meaningful, consistent enforcement.”
Operation Highway Shield brought Arkansas Highway Police and FMCSA together with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The association praised that coordination and the daily work of officers whose inspections identify safety problems and keep unqualified drivers and unsafe equipment off the road.
“Behind these numbers are real safety interventions—problems identified and addressed before a driver continues down the highway,” Newton said. “That matters to the professional truck driver doing everything right, and it matters to the family traveling alongside that truck. Strong enforcement supports both.”
FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs traveled to Arkansas in support of Operation Highway Shield, underscoring the federal commitment to the effort. “This operation is about more than enforcement. It is about protecting American families, supporting the professional drivers and carriers who follow the rules, and making sure everyone gets home safely,” Barrs said.
ATA credited Barrs and Arkansas Highway Police Chief Jeff Holmes for their leadership and continued cooperation. The association has consistently advocated for stronger verification of driver qualifications, integrity in commercial driver licensing and training, and effective enforcement of existing safety requirements.
“Our members want this work to continue,” Newton said. “They have built their businesses around doing things the right way. Sustained enforcement backs up that commitment, strengthens our industry and makes Arkansas highways safer for everyone.”
