East Texas truck-driver training company explains ruling preventing non-U.S. citizens from receiving CDL

NACOGDOCHES, Texas (KTRE) - As of last Monday, non-U.S. citizens are no longer eligible to receive commercial driver’s licenses in the State of Texas.

Now, people with work visas, who are under the DACA program, and refugees cannot obtain or renew their CDL license.

Immigrants make up approximately 18% of employed truck drivers in the US, according to a 2021 figure from a trade publication.

Brad Griffith, the owner of Rapid CDL in Tyler and Carthage, trains future semi-truck drivers, says that only parts of the industry will change following this new ruling.

“Everything will stay the same. We’ve been a business since 2010, and it’s just gonna change the students. Whoever is coming, we’re not going to get those students anymore,” Griffith said.

He also added that his business will be hurt by the new change. However, he says what’s most important to him is safety on the roads.

“(Those) drivers have our lives in their hands and everyone on the road…. It’s very, very important, and if you’re not observant or not able to read the signs, that’s another thing,” Griffith said.

In September, Governor Abbott directed DPS to strictly enforce the English language proficiency requirements for drivers.

Griffith explained that originally, people could obtain their CDL license without speaking English, as long as they could read it.

“They could read or take their test in Spanish or another language, as long as they, during their driving portion, would speak the English parts.”

Some drivers, like Scotty Helton, say the new ruling will bring positive changes to the roadways.

“You need to understand the signs and stuff like that. So yeah, it’ll help tremendously,” Helton said.

Others, like Ray Davis, say that they don’t feel like it will affect them directly.

“It’s not a new law affecting us because we’re being honest and going ahead to make sure our CDLs are right,” Davis said.

Non-US citizens who received their CDL license before this point can still use it, but can’t renew their license after it expires.