WASHINGTON — Alabama lawmakers, officials and industry leaders are focused on tightening restrictions on commercial truck driving to bolster the industry.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency coordinated with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain 82 individuals during commercial vehicle inspections, Gov. Kay Ivey announced Thursday.
“Alabama will not look the other way while illegal immigration and illegal operators threaten the safety of our communities or undermine the integrity of our trucking industry,” Ivey said in a statement. “If you are here illegally and breaking our laws or putting folks at risk on our highways, you will be held accountable in our state.”
The ICE partnership with ALEA’s Motor Carrier Safety Unit began Oct. 27, and the enforcement focused on high-crash rural interstate corridors, according to the press release. About 242 individuals encountered during the inspections were referred to ICE for immigration status checks, and 82 of those were detained, of which 12 did not have a driver’s license.
The majority of the detentions occurred during two operations on Oct. 27-30 and Nov. 16-18.
“These results reflect the strength of our ongoing partnership with ICE and our collaboration with all federal partners committed to improving highway and public safety,” ALEA Secretary Hal Taylor said in a statement.
ICE personnel will continue to monitor commercial vehicle inspections in the state when available.
Also on Thursday, Ivey, along with the U.S. Sens. Katie Britt and Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., backed an action plan to “eliminate bad actors who exploit regulatory gaps, undermine safety, and create unfair competitive advantages in the commercial trucking industry.”
The Alabama Trucking Association supports the plan developed by the Trucking Association Executive Council that focuses on seven “vulnerabilities” in the trucking industry. Those include closing loopholes in commercial driver licensing, overhauling the trucking safety data system and increasing oversight of visa processes for cross-border drivers.
“Alabama’s trucking industry is built on the hard work of family-owned businesses, independent owner-operators, and professional drivers who play by the rules,” Alabama Trucking President and CEO Mark Colson said in a statement. “Bad actors who exploit loopholes in our regulatory systems are putting everyone at risk, and this is unacceptable.”
Most of the solutions outlined in the plan involve technological improvements that could be done without extensive rule-making or legislation, according to the press release from the Alabama Trucking Association.
The action plan builds on the Trump administration’s efforts to crack down on immigrant drivers. Earlier this year, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy ordered English language proficiency requirements for drivers. And on Monday, the administration announced it would revoke the certification of thousands of truck driving schools if they don’t update their compliance with training requirements.
Britt said the coordinated state and federal efforts would make the “roads safer for everyone.”
“By integrating innovative technology with the trucking industry’s current needs and cracking down on improperly issued CDLs, these efforts will protect American jobs and save lives,” she said.
Tuberville, who has sponsored legislation to require CDL testing to be conducted in English, praised the plan for rooting out “bad actors” in the trucking industry.
“We need to ensure that those applying for CDLs are properly trained and can speak and read English before allowing them to drive on our roads,” he said.
About 1 out of every 13 jobs in Alabama stems from the trucking industry, according to the press release.