MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WDNews) — Gov. Kay Ivey is backing a new federal crackdown targeting fraud, illegal operations and unqualified drivers in the commercial trucking industry, while pointing to enforcement efforts already underway in Alabama.
According to the Governor’s Office, the U.S. departments of Transportation, Homeland Security and Justice announced a coordinated national enforcement initiative Monday targeting fraudulent commercial driver training and testing, illegal commercial operators and criminal activity within the trucking industry. Federal officials also established the Joint Task Force Crossroads of America, a multistate partnership targeting licensing fraud and illegal trucking operations.
“President Trump and Secretary Duffy are taking decisive action to restore law, order and accountability to America’s trucking industry, and we are proud to help lead that effort,” Ivey said. “Here in Alabama, we have already made it clear that those who are in our country illegally, cannot speak English or are otherwise unqualified have no business operating an 80,000-pound commercial vehicle. Through ALEA’s partnership with ICE and the dedicated work of our state troopers, Alabama is helping keep dangerous drivers off our roads and protect law-abiding citizens.”
Alabama has been conducting similar enforcement through the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s Motor Carrier Safety Unit and its partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
According to the Governor’s Office, ICE personnel have joined ALEA commercial vehicle enforcement assignments when available since the partnership began Oct. 27, 2025. Since then, ALEA’s Motor Carrier Safety Unit has assisted ICE with the detention of 561 people for immigration violations encountered during commercial motor vehicle enforcement activities.
ALEA has also increased enforcement of English-language proficiency requirements for commercial drivers. Since Jan. 1, 2025, Motor Carrier Safety Unit troopers have issued 1,022 English-language proficiency violations to commercial drivers.
The effort comes as a new Alabama law governing commercial drivers is set to take effect Oct. 1.
Ivey signed the Highway Safety and Fairness Act in March. The law requires foreign commercial driver’s license holders operating in Alabama to have valid U.S. work authorization. It also requires all CDL holders to demonstrate English-language proficiency and makes presenting a fraudulent foreign CDL during an enforcement encounter a criminal offense.
Alabama Trucking Association President and CEO Mark Colson said the state’s trucking industry supports efforts aimed at illegal operators.
“Alabama’s trucking industry is built on the hard work of family-owned businesses, independent owner-operators and professional drivers who play by the rules. Bad actors who exploit loopholes in our regulatory systems are putting everyone at risk, and this is unacceptable,” Colson said. “We are encouraged by the progress being made at the federal level by Secretary Sean Duffy and Administrator Derek Barrs, and proud of Alabama’s strong and timely response to these issues. Governor Kay Ivey and ALEA Secretary Hal Taylor have positioned Alabama as a national leader in combating rogue operations and bad actors, creating safer highways for our citizens and a fairer and more equitable trucking industry in Alabama.”
According to the Governor’s Office, ALEA concentrates enforcement resources in high-crash corridors and areas where English-language proficiency and other commercial vehicle violations are prevalent.
Alabama recorded 106 fatalities involving commercial motor vehicles in 2025, the lowest annual total since 2021. So far in 2026, commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities are down 24% compared with the same period last year, according to the Governor’s Office.
“Commercial motor vehicle safety is about much more than conducting an inspection or issuing a citation. It is about making certain the individuals operating these large vehicles are qualified, properly licensed and capable of doing so safely,” ALEA Secretary Hal Taylor said. “Under Governor Ivey’s leadership, ALEA has remained proactive in addressing these issues through targeted enforcement, federal partnerships and the work of our Motor Carrier Safety Unit. The progress we are seeing in CMV-related fatalities demonstrates why these efforts remain so important.”
Ivey said Alabama will continue its enforcement efforts.
“Alabama did not wait for this issue to resolve itself,” Ivey said. “We took action, we strengthened the law and took illegal operators off our highways. My message is clear: If you are here illegally, operating unlawfully or putting American lives at risk, you will be held accountable.”
According to the Governor’s Office, Alabama does not issue nondomiciled CDLs and issues commercial driver’s licenses only to lawful permanent residents.
