The Trucking Association Executives Council (TAEC) reports that a year of coordinated federal and state enforcement has delivered sweeping changes to cross-border trucking, commercial driver licensing, and highway safety.

In its progress report titled "Trucking Resurgence: The Fight for Fairness and Safety Progress Report," published July 23, TAEC stated that federal authorities, state agencies, and law enforcement have meaningfully strengthened oversight of cross-border trucking operations and commercial driver qualifications. TAEC, which represents executives from state trucking associations nationwide—including those in Arizona, Alabama, Arkansas, California, Iowa, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Texas—built the report on its 2025 "Trucking Resurgence" action plan, which called for stronger enforcement against entities exploiting regulatory loopholes. The report arrives as the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration continues implementing tighter eligibility standards for non-domiciled CDLs, licenses issued to drivers who are not U.S. residents but are authorized to operate commercial vehicles in the United States under reciprocal agreements primarily involving Mexico and Canada.

Cross-Border Trucking Reforms

A central focus of the report is what TAEC designates "Cross-Border Workforce Integrity." Federal agencies expanded enforcement of English-language proficiency requirements and cabotage restrictions in border regions while deepening coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

TAEC reported that these efforts led to approximately 3,200 visa revocations linked to cabotage enforcement—one of the most striking figures in the report. Cabotage laws generally prohibit foreign motor carriers from hauling domestic freight between two points within the United States, except under narrowly defined circumstances. The enforcement push comes years after the full implementation of cross-border trucking provisions under the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement framework, which had gradually expanded access for Mexican and Canadian carriers to operate beyond border commercial zones.

The report also documents intensified enforcement against unauthorized commercial operations along the border, noting that stronger oversight is fostering a more competitive and equitable environment for carriers that comply with federal regulations.

Non-Domiciled CDL Reforms

TAEC highlighted substantial progress on non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses, one of the most closely tracked regulatory issues in the trucking sector today.

According to the report, more than 194,000 existing non-domiciled CDL holders—approximately 97% of current license holders—are expected to eventually lose eligibility under new federal requirements. Some states have already begun revoking improperly issued licenses. The figure underscores the scale of potential disruption to a segment of the driver pool that has been part of cross-border freight operations, though the report does not estimate the net impact on overall freight capacity.

TAEC also confirmed that all 50 states have undergone audits of their CDL programs and non-domiciled CDL issuance processes, as regulators work to tighten oversight and ensure licenses go only to qualified applicants.

The coalition's original action plan recommended restricting non-domiciled CDL eligibility, strengthening verification of immigration and work authorization documents, improving information sharing between federal agencies and states, and ramping up enforcement against fraudulent licensing schemes.

Many milestones catalogued in the TAEC report—including the FMCSA's new non-domiciled CDL eligibility rule, expanded English-language enforcement, visa revocations connected to cabotage violations, and state-level crackdowns on CDL fraud—have unfolded over the past year through a series of regulatory actions previously covered by FreightWaves. The report stands as one of the first industry-wide efforts to consolidate these initiatives into a single impact assessment.

Industry Cites Measurable Results

The report notes that more than 20 states have enacted or proposed legislation targeting CDL integrity, English-language proficiency, non-domiciled CDL oversight, cargo theft, and commercial driver qualifications. Additional states have updated enforcement policies to align with recent federal directives.

FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs emphasized the agency's commitment to removing unsafe operators while backing compliant carriers.

"The overwhelming majority of motor carriers and professional drivers operate safely and responsibly. Our responsibility is to support those operators by identifying bad actors, enforcing the law and closing gaps that threaten highway safety and the integrity of the trucking industry," Barrs said in a statement.

The TAEC report underscores how rapidly shifting federal and state enforcement strategies are reshaping the regulatory landscape for cross-border trucking—particularly for non-domiciled CDL holders and international carriers operating within the United States. With the non-domiciled CDL eligibility rule now in effect and state-level audits complete, carriers and logistics operators that depend on cross-border freight corridors are monitoring how quickly license revocations translate into operational changes along key border crossings in Texas, Arizona, and California.