US License Crackdown Hits Thousands Of Indian Origin Truckers, Duffy Told

MILWAUKEE, WI -Prominent businessman and philanthropist Darshan Singh Dhaliwal has raised concerns with US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy over trucking regulations that he said have cost tens of thousands of drivers their livelihoods, including many Sikhs and other Indian Americans.

Dhaliwal, a native of Punjab’s Patiala district and a 2023 recipient of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, India’s highest honor for overseas Indians, met Duffy at his Milwaukee-area residence and urged the Trump administration to address the impact of commercial driving license cancellations on drivers and trucking businesses.

Dhaliwal estimated that more than 50,000 drivers had been affected by the measures, many of whom had earned a good living before being forced off the job.

“Our people are suffering. Our people are good truck drivers,” Dhaliwal said, noting that many affected drivers had years of industry experience.

The impact extends beyond the Sikh community to drivers from Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and other parts of India, Dhaliwal said.

He said the restrictions had affected not only individual drivers but also trucking businesses, including Indian-American operators running fleets of hundreds of vehicles.

Several operators had suffered substantial financial losses, while the reduced availability of drivers was contributing to higher transportation costs, he said.

Dhaliwal said Duffy had emphasized road safety during their discussions, citing serious highway accidents and allegations that some driving schools had issued fraudulent credentials.

Community representatives supported strict enforcement against inadequately trained drivers and fraudulent licensing practices but opposed measures that indiscriminately affected qualified drivers.

“We don’t want anybody to get a fake license or not do proper driving,” Dhaliwal said.

He also acknowledged the importance of English-language proficiency for commercial drivers, saying those operating heavy vehicles across the United States should meet the required standards.

The community’s position, he said, was that drivers who met training, safety and language requirements should be treated equally and allowed to continue working.

Dhaliwal said Duffy had listened to their concerns and indicated that he would work on the issue. The meeting lasted approximately two hours.

Dhaliwal said he had also been receiving calls from affected families, including those worried about relatives facing deportation after working in the trucking industry. (IANS)