Over the past year, federal regulators have been focused on taking away CDLs from unqualified drivers and placing unsafe trucking companies out of service.
But what can be done when someone chooses to operate a tractor-trailer with no license or operating authority?
A recent wreck in Arizona caused by a blown-out tire led law enforcement to learn that the truck driver didn’t possess a CDL.
According to the Arizona Department of Public Safety, a state trooper responded on July 25 to a non-injury tractor-trailer crash on U.S. Route 70 in Graham, Ariz. The Arizona DPS said the truck driver told the trooper that a steer tire blew out, forcing him to go off the road.
As part of the investigation, the Arizona DPS said it discovered that the truck driver did not possess a valid CDL, medical certificate or vehicle registration. Even worse, the company had no operating authority.
The Arizona DPS did not reveal the truck driver’s name but said that he received numerous citations.
“Proper licensing, valid registration and routine vehicle maintenance aren’t optional – they’re what keep everyone on the road safe,” the Arizona DPS wrote in the news release. “A tire blowout can happen to anyone, but driving without a CDL, medical certification or registration puts every motorist at risk. Before you get behind the wheel, make sure you and your vehicle are in compliance.”
Since Sean Duffy became DOT secretary in 2025, he has made it a priority to increase the barrier to earning a CDL and to begin operating on the nation’s highways.
“Collapsed safety standards have opened a door to fraudulent carriers and unqualified schools,” the DOT wrote in February. “What was once a proud, American-built industry has been turned into the Wild West.”
This past March, a final rule took effect to nearly eliminate non-domiciled CDLs. Under the rule, an Employment Authorization Document is no longer enough to obtain a non-domiciled CDL. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration estimated there were about 200,000 non-domiciled CDL holders and that the final rule would force about 194,000 to “exit the freight market.”
Additionally, the DOT has focused on eliminating CDL mills. LL
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