Multiple CDL violations uncovered in Florida truck crash

WASHINGTON — Federal regulators have uncovered multiple violations over the last two years leading up to last week’s truck crash in Florida that killed three people.

In addition, the driver, whose attempt at an illegal U-turn on the Florida Turnpike on August 12 resulted in a minivan getting crushed under the truck’s trailer, failed an English proficiency exam administered after the crash, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.

“This crash was a preventable tragedy directly caused by reckless decisions and compounded by despicable failures,” said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

“Non-enforcement and radical immigration policies have turned the trucking industry into a lawless frontier, resulting in unqualified foreign drivers improperly acquiring licenses to operate 40-ton vehicles. We will use every tool at our disposal to hold these states and bad actors accountable.”

Duffy said FMCSA’s investigation into the crash will focus on the driver, who has been identified as Harjinder Singh, and the company he was driving for, White Hawk Carriers, Inc.

Investigators have reviewed driver qualification files, obtained in-cab and forward-facing video footage of the crash, and conducted interviews with driver, according to DOT.

“During FMCSA’s interview with the driver, investigators administered an English Language Proficiency (ELP) assessment in accordance with FMCSA guidance. The driver failed the assessment, providing correct responses to just two of 12 verbal questions and only accurately identifying one of four highway traffic signs,” DOT asserted.

Additional preliminary findings into the driver’s background:

Washington State issued the driver a regular full-term Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) on July 15th, 2023, for which asylum seekers or individuals without legal status are not eligible.
California issued the driver a limited-term/non-domiciled CDL on July 23, 2024, which FMCSA is investigating to determine whether it was issued in accordance with federal regulations.
New Mexico State Police conducted a roadside inspection of the driver on July 3, 2025, and issued a speeding ticket, “but there is no indication that an ELP assessment was administered, DOT stated. “New Mexico has not yet begun enforcing ELP as an out-of-service condition, despite the requirement being in effect since June 25, 2025.”

Following an executive order issued in May by President Trump, Duffy reintroduced strict enforcement of out- of-service violations for drivers that fail English language proficiency requirements.

That was followed in June by a nationwide compliance review by FMCSA of states issuing non-domiciled CDLs, which are those that are issued by a state to a person who is not a resident of that state. They are typically issued to individuals from foreign countries – excluding Mexico and Canada – or to those whose state of residence is prohibited from issuing a CDL (FreightWaves broke down the issue of these types of CDLs in a multi-part series here).

Citing “ongoing safety concerns,” the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association is urging DOT to immediately suspend states’ authority to issue non-domiciled CDLs.

“At a minimum, this suspension must remain in place until [DOT] has completed its review of non-domiciled CDL issuance … and implemented appropriate measures to ensure CDLs are only issued to qualified drivers,” wrote OOIDA President Todd Spencer in a letter sent to Duffy yesterday.