International moving companies around the world using trucking services in the United States could see rates rise as a government crackdown on foreign truck drivers threatens to take tens of thousands off the road.
The Wall Street Journal reported that the Transportation Department’s rule would significantly reduce the number of immigrants eligible to earn commercial driver’s licenses. Officials say that the change would make the roads and highways safer and follows President Trump’s executive order requiring commercial drivers to be able to read and speak English well enough to understand road signs and communicate with law enforcement. Since the order was issued, Matt Muenster of transportation technology company Breakthrough Fuel, estimates that about 300 to 400 drivers a week have been removed from service across the nation.
In a recent update to e-Portal, Adi Shaked of IAMTrusted Orbit International Moving, said that the Toronto-headquartered company were already starting to see signs that trucking capacity in North America could tighten in the near future. “Industry participants should be prepared for potential rate increases and service delays in the coming months,” he said. Referring to the recent actions by U.S. authorities he said that enforcement in Canada has picked up around compliance, with several trucking companies facing fines, bans, or being forced out of business altogether. “While these measures are aimed at improving safety and compliance, they also reduce the number of trucks available in the market,” he confirmed.