I was a latecomer to the world of the CDL (Commercial Driver’s License). I recently took a job that required that I obtain and maintain a minimum of a Class “B” CDL with an airbrake endorsement. This is an important detail to note, as the illegal alien truck driver and alleged murderer Harjinder Singh, who last month killed three people in Florida with an insanely illegal and dangerous U-turn, somehow held a Class “A” CDL, a higher level of CDL than mine.
I can drive a dump truck and a medium-duty truck and trailer, but I cannot drive a tractor-trailer rig, whereas his class “A” would allow him to drive almost any commercial truck. Though testing may vary from state to state, the federal government is deeply involved in testing requirements and standards, and indeed must approve them. So, the fact that I tested in Virginia and he tested in California should not and cannot create a great difference.
To obtain a CDL, a driver must not just demonstrate how to drive the vehicle. That in fact is the last stage of getting a CDL. A driver is responsible for fully understanding the operations of his vehicle’s mechanical system with a focus on safety. I had to study the components and operation of air brakes. Most medium-duty trucks use air brakes. This requires a powerful compressor, storage tanks so there is a reserve of pressure for emergencies, and of course air-operated solenoids to apply the brakes. I had to know what pressure was required (the dash has a gauge and warning system), at what pressure the low-pressure alarm activated, and how to test for leaks in the system. These checks must be run every time the truck is used, along with a complete check of all lights, horns, wipers, and the window defrosting system. Condition and adjustment of all mirrors and cameras must be checked. Tire tread and condition, suspension bolts and springs, and dozens of other things must be checked every trip, and I had to demonstrate near-perfect knowledge of all of them before I could even be considered for a driving lesson.
According to reports, Singh spoke almost no English and was only able to identify 2 of 12 traffic signs. There is no way he legally passed the CDL test. This leaves several possibilities.
- A corrupt cadre of California DMV employees have an “arrangement” to issue these licenses on behalf of a company or individuals bringing these drivers in.
- Higher-ups in the California government have instructed the lower-level workers at DMV that for their own careers they should “approve” all CDL applications from immigrants.
(Note that Springfield Ohio, which was selected by the Biden administration to flood with Haitian immigrants, found that their DMV was issuing driver’s licenses to any Haitian who could see over the dash, per the instructions of higher-ups, resulting in their streets becoming a Mad Max nightmare.)
- Massive cheating, using concealed cameras, secret earpieces, and other electronic devices allowing remotely located persons to see the questions and provide the answers to the test taker have been uncovered. The DMV testers at some point had to know this was happening and chose to ignore it.
What should be done.
First, use every angle and wedge possible in the Singh Florida murder case to punish and uncover the illegal alien CDL pipeline. Florida should use leverage on Singh. 30 years in prison vs. life or the death penalty should be sufficient to get Singh to sing and rat out his cohorts in business or the DMV. Once those persons have been identified, charges, including accessory to murder, should be drawn up.
Second, there is a major federal component to CDL licensing. The FMCSA (Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration) is responsible for establishing and enforcing minimal CDL standards across all states. They can suspend or completely revoke a CDL, and could even revoke a state’s ability to issue a CDL. California has already blatantly disregarded federal standards by issuing CDLs to illegal aliens. The Feds should give California and all states three months to review every CDL they have issued, and verify they were issued to U.S. citizens or legal U.S. residents. No more H-1B visas for CDL drivers.
There are millions of American men and women who would love a high-paying job driving a truck, and once the illegals and H-1Bs are flushed out of the system, trucking will return to what it once was -- a good, steady, lucrative career.
Image: Pexels