The CDL Dilemma

First, there was the Indian fool that did an illegal u-turn, killing three. Dude didn’t speak English, and never should’ve been issued a Commercial Driver License (CDL) whatsoever.

Then, in Oklahoma they arrested 130 drivers in conjunction with ICE, and wound up with this gem:

He should have used the proper “illegal alien,” but otherwise, top marks. For those who can’t see it, the blurb contains a picture of a redacted New York State CDL where the given name is “No Name Given.” Presumably there is a surname on the license (it’s redacted). But if you look closely, you will also see the white star in a black circle on the license. This indicates that the license is REALID compliant. An (allegedly) illegal alien arrested by ICE and OHP was given a REALID by New York Sanctuary State.

Not unless you’re an American, anyway. If you’re a citizen, you’d better be damn sure to dot every ‘i’ and cross every ‘t’ and satisfy every requirement. If you’re an invader, however, sanctuary states like New York and California are so indifferent that they’ll just hand you a CDL without so much as your real name on it. Trucking outfits that follow the rules and hire legal drivers get run down by fly-by-night outfits operating out of a rented room somewhere and staffing up with illegals. – Joe Mannix on https://ace.mu.nu/

The actual story is here.

OCC welcomed visitors from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to share space at the Beckham County Port of Entry last week. A special enforcement emphasis and focus on, specifically, CDL drivers and commercial trucks licensed and registered in the state of California was conducted in conjunction with DPS Troop S and OCC.

A total of 130 commercial drivers were arrested and taken off the road for various violations as part of the three-day enforcement effort.

I happen to have a Texas CDL. Let me tell you what I had to do to earn this, over and above being able to drive the vehicle, which in this case was a school bus for the Church. I had to pass five written tests:

• Class B CDL
• School Bus
• Passenger
• Air Brakes
• Texas CDL. (Had Texas specific minutia, like required equipment and reflectors. That one was the hardest)

They weren’t easy. I passed 4/5 on my first pass. I was bummed. But the DPS lady said “Huh. I never seen anyone pass so many the first time”. I asked her if it was normal to fail. She showed me another contestant with pages of failed attempts.

Then, as if that wasn’t enough, there were three practical tests:

• Pre-Trip inspection: I had perform this at 100%, while the DPS person watched.
• Air brake test: I had to demonstrate how to test the air brakes to verify operation and safety.
• Road trip: I had a road test that included merging onto the highway, two tight turns, where if I hit a curb I was cooked. Then, parallel parking, and backing up – in a full sized bus.

Class A – for a tractor trailer, will have even more tests. I don’t see how an illegal numbnut passes any of those written tests. Sure they could get an interpreter, but I very much doubt the manual is in any language other than English. Then the skills test, where you are asked questions about what you were doing and why. There clearly were shenanigans to get these guys licensed.

First and foremost, they can barely drive. You’ve seen it. I’ve seen it. I was chatting with the Girl about this and she said they didn’t have licenses in Mexico. I found that hard to believe, but she would know. So you can bet some Indian doesn’t have one either. These trucks do not drive like cars. You can hit a point, very quickly, where you can’t recover. You can’t slow enough to turn, you can’t stop fast enough.

These drivers are a threat to life and limb to everyone on the road and I’m, glad Texas and Oklahoma is shutting them down. Here’s what I’d do if I were boss of the world:

• We should nullify every licensed issued to an illegal, and maybe even foreigners, from sanctuary states. They simply are untrustworthy whether these people were properly tested.
• When we find them, arrest them, and impound the truck and it’s cargo. The shipper can then pay a fine, and send an actual valid CDL driver to collect the truck. Hope it doesn’t contain perishables, because then, you better hustle.
• Audit the shipper’s hiring practices. The driver needs an ID, such as the CDL, but also an I-9. Companies that hired illegals should be fined mightily. And until they remedy the situation, their trucks should be seized wherever they are. Maybe some owner does jail time.
• Ban this company for a period of time from traveling through your state and maybe setup where other states cooperate. Make it tough for these fools to do business.
• Catch one of these illegals behind the wheel again, jail, and deport.

These shippers and their insurance companies should be curb-stomped when these fools screw up.

This is serious business here. The interstate commerce business is the purview of the feds. They better jump in before the states do it for them.

The next victim could be you. Could be someone you love.