American Truckers United
1. Introduction
The U.S. trucking industry is teetering on the edge of a precipice as American truck drivers find themselves increasingly edged out of their own profession by foreign competition. The surge in wage dumping, exacerbated by open border policies, has now escalated to a critical point, endangering the core essence of the trucking industry. This crisis encompasses an egregious abuse of work visas, the illicit use of tourist visas for employment purposes, an uncounted deluge of work permits, and the influx of other foreign labor with no visas at all. Such conditions not only erode the economic foundation for American truck drivers but also pose grave safety risks across the nation’s highways. Immediate, stringent measures are imperative to shield our truck drivers from this predatory competition and to restore the safety standards of our roads.
Wage dumping facilitates the illegal hiring of untrained, unvetted, and frequently unlicensed commercial truck drivers, all in the name of cost-cutting and profit maximization. This practice not only negates the potential improvements offered by new safety technologies but also places drivers with inadequate skills or knowledge at the helm of dangerous heavy vehicles. This practice diminishes the effectiveness of innovations like lane departure warnings, collision avoidance systems, and electronic logging devices. Statistics show that despite all these technological advancements, we have still experienced an unacceptable rise in fatal crashes involving large commercial trucks. This becomes particularly apparent when you see the shocking increase in fatal accidents after the enforcement policies changed in 2016. We believe this shift illustrates a gross lack of presence from the enforcement agencies trusted to enforce our American driver qualification standards.
History teaches us through examples like steel dumping that when cheaper, less regulated products or services flood the market, the long-term consequences are dire. Similarly, wage dumping in trucking might offer short-term savings to brokers and shippers but at the cost of highway safety, economic stability, and strategic national security.
It’s time for a change!
American Roads - American Safety Standards - American Wages - American Truckers
2. Objectives
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To reverse the decline of the living standards of our American Trucker Drivers
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To reverse the effects of replacement migration, open borders, and wage dumping on American Truck Drivers
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To restore road safety by ensuring all truck drivers operating on American roads have a US Commercial Drivers License
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To restore road safety by enforcing existing regulations that require all Commercial Truck Drivers to read and speak English
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To restore National Security be enabling officers to properly identify every truck driver operating a Commercial Truck on American roadways.
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To enforce cabotage laws that prevent foreign companies from hauling domestic lanes
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To regulate brokers and shippers who are stealing the livelihoods of American Truckers through wage dumping
3. Definitions
Wage Dumping: The practice of paying employees below the market rate or providing less favorable working conditions, often exploiting open borders or differences in nationality.
4. Policy Measures
A. Labor and Immigration Oversight
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Visa Use Oversight: Implement stricter oversight on the issuance and use of work visas in the trucking industry to prevent their misuse. This includes regular audits of companies employing foreign drivers and the publication of all visa counts in the industry.
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Tourist Visa Abuse: Introduce severe penalties for individuals and their companies performing work in the trucking industry on a tourist visa.
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Penalties for Wage Dumping: Introduce severe penalties for companies found engaging in wage dumping, including fines, suspension of operations, or revocation of their operating licenses. When companies are found not to be paying their drivers a living wage based on American Standards.
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Minimum Wage Standards: Establish a sector-specific minimum wage for truck drivers to ensure fair compensation, aligned with living costs and industry standards. American work performed on American Roads should pay an American Wage.
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Broker and Shipper Transparency: Require brokers and shippers to file an annual report that includes how many shipments they move using any capacity other than US Licensed American Truck Drivers with proof of citizenship in the United States.
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Broker and Shipper Accountability: Establish harsh penalties for wage dumping that includes taxing Shippers and Brokers 30% of the gross invoice amount. Applicable to the party responsible for securing the capacity. All funds collected should be allocated to a fund dedicated to the enforcement of these policies.
B. Safety and Licensing Standards
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Mandatory US Commercial Drivers License: Require all commercial truck drivers to possess a US commercial drivers License
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Enhanced Driver Training: Mandate comprehensive training programs for all truck drivers, regardless of nationality, which must be completed before obtaining or renewing a US commercial driver’s license (CDL).
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Reform Hours of Service: FACT - Hours of Service ELOG Mandate has had no effect on reducing accidents involving injuries and fatalities! - Many would argue that it causes drivers to drive fatigued by not allowing the drivers to stop their daily clock when they take breaks. We need to give drivers the proper amount of time so they can be productive while maintaining safety.
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English Proficiency: Reinstate and enforce strict English language proficiency requirements by reversing FMCSA Memorandum MC-ECE-2016-006, ensuring all drivers can read our road signs, warning signs, and communicate effectively in emergencies.
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Operating a Commercial Vehicle without a US CDL: Harsh penalties for those violating the law and putting families at risk. Immediate Out of Service and 30 Days Jail Time.
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Operating a Commercial Vehicle without a US CDL while causing bodily harm: Criminal Negligence Felony with Minimum of 1 Year Prison
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Operating a Commercial Vehicle without a US CDL while causing Death: Vehicular Homicide Felony with Minimum of 10 Years Prison Time
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Regular Safety Audits: Increase the frequency of safety audits for trucking companies, focusing on driver qualifications, vehicle maintenance, and adherence to safety protocols.
C. Technological Compliance and Monitoring
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Mandatory Safety Technology: Require all heavy vehicles to be equipped with the latest safety technologies, such as collision avoidance systems, lane departure warnings, and electronic logging devices. Ensure these technologies are maintained and operational.
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Data Sharing for Enforcement: Develop a system for real-time data sharing between trucking companies, law enforcement, and regulatory bodies to monitor compliance with safety and wage regulations.
D. Advocacy and Support for American Truckers
Create a fund to support legal actions by American truck drivers against companies engaging in wage dumping or safety violations.
5. Implementation
Task Force: Establish a task force composed of representatives from the Department of Labor, FMCSA, Department of Homeland Security, and truck driver associations to oversee the implementation of this policy.
Public Awareness Campaign: Launch a campaign to inform both the public and truckers about these new policies, the rights of drivers, and the importance of compliance for road safety.
6. Review and Adjustment
Annual Review: This policy will be reviewed annually to assess its effectiveness in protecting American truck drivers and improving road safety. Adjustments will be made based on collected data, feedback, and changing industry dynamics.
7. Conclusion
This policy aims to restore fairness in the trucking industry, ensure that all drivers are qualified, well-compensated, and contribute to safer roads. By addressing wage dumping and enforcing safety standards, we protect not only the truck drivers but we also restore safety to our roads.
Supporting Information and News Stories
NSC Crash Data - Large Trucks - Injury Facts (nsc.org) - https://injuryfacts.nsc.org/motor-vehicle/road-users/large-trucks/
FMCSA Memorandum to Not Enforce the Law - [Breaking News! FMCSA Memorandum Will Shock All Truck Drivers In America 
Ex DOT Officer Exposes (youtube.com)strong text(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN-Yc28cV5E) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QN-Yc28cV5E
Colorado Case – Family of man killed in Highway 285 semi-truck crash near Conifer speaks out (denver7.com) - https://www.denver7.com/news/local-news/this-has-been-happening-too-much-family-of-man-killed-in-highway-285-semi-truck-crash-speaks-out
20 States Offering CDL Test in Foreign Spanish - Breaking News! New CDL Rule For All Truck Drivers In 20 States (youtube.com) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoOKRUNQKUM
Lakewood Case - Could I-70 crash suspect read highway signs in English? | FOX31 Denver (kdvr.com) https://kdvr.com/on-air/could-i-70-crash-suspect-read-highway-signs-in-english/#:~:text=The%20video%20shows%20Aguilera-Mederos,an%20interpreter%20to%20interview%20him.
Arkansas Case - Jonesboro man killed in crash Monday | The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette - Arkansas’ Best News Source (arkansasonline.com) - Jonesboro man killed in crash Monday | The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette - Arkansas' Best News Source