Following the announcement of a lawsuit filed by 23 U.S. jurisdictions, including New York and Attorney General Letitia James, against the U.S. Department of Transportation, the Trucking Association of New York (TANY) called on New York State and federal officials to put politics aside and work together to strengthen Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) integrity and keep unsafe and unqualified drivers off the road.

Additionally, this move follows the release of a report from the Trucking Association Executives Council (TAEC) titled, “The Fight for Fairness and Safety: Paving the Way for a Trucking Resurgence,” which outlines reforms to close safety loopholes, restore CDL integrity, and eliminate bad actors from the trucking industry.

The report’s overarching goal aligns closely with TANY’s mission to strengthen safeguards within the commercial licensing system, improve coordination between licensing databases, and increase oversight over driver training providers to prevent fraud and abuse.

At the same time, this coordination should not be abused and should be solely focused on improving driver training programs, cutting down on CDL-mills that dole out licenses to unqualified drivers, and preventing vulnerable drivers from being taken advantage of by bad actors. Ultimately, these disagreements between New York and the federal government over the implementation of these policies should be resolved through continued dialogue, not through the legal system.

“Safety is our industry’s foundational priority. While our members are doing the legwork to meet mandates, New York State and its federal partners should be focused on that same priority,” said Kendra Hems, President of TANY. “Naturally, the two may not agree on every action, but that shouldn’t be seen as a roadblock to advancing safety. Rather, both parties should come to the table to negotiate common ground that puts results ahead of politics. If they don’t, we risk leaving the door open to the very bad actors these safeguards are meant to stop.”

As it stands, New York’s commercial drivers must meet federal CDL standards governing areas including work authorization, entry-level driver training, driving records, and alcohol and controlled substance violations. TANY feels strongly that drivers who do not meet these guidelines endanger the public and disadvantage the professional drivers and responsible operators who follow the rules.

TANY is prepared to serve as a mediator to help New York State and its federal partners navigate this moment and root out safety risks in the system while protecting vulnerable drivers from abuse at the hands of bad actors in the industry.