”🚛 Are Foreign Drivers Hijacking U.S. Trucking Jobs?

by TRUCKERS VA
(UNITED STATES)

**Subtitle:** “Some say it’s illegal cabotage. Others say it’s the only reason freight’s moving. What’s really going on?”

📜 What the Heck Is Cabotage, Anyway?

Let’s get legal for a sec — “cabotage” is a fancy word that means foreign drivers can’t pick up AND drop off freight inside the U.S. unless they’re American carriers.

The law says:

If you’re a Canadian or Mexican carrier, you can cross the border into the U.S. and deliver.

But you’re not supposed to pick up U.S. freight and move it between U.S. cities — that’s a cabotage violation.

Think of it like this:

Foreign truckers = welcome guests
But hauling freight city to city in the U.S.? That’s supposed to be our house.

🚨 Real-Life Examples of the Controversy

📍 Southern California – U.S. drivers have spotted Mexican-based carriers picking up loads in LA and dropping them in Phoenix — with no customs involved. That’s cabotage, plain and simple.

📍 Midwest warehouses – Reports of Canadian trucks deadheading to Chicago, then getting loaded again — all within U.S. borders.

📍 Online load boards – Some dispatchers are openly booking foreign-registered trucks on domestic-only lanes. Either they don’t know the law… or they don’t care.

Is enforcement weak? You bet.

🧠 What the Critics Are Saying

U.S. truckers and industry watchdogs argue:

“It’s stealing jobs.” – Foreign carriers undercut rates because they don’t follow U.S. tax, insurance, and labor rules.

“It’s unsafe.” – Equipment and training standards vary widely between countries.

“It’s not enforced.” – DOT and FMCSA rarely check cabotage violations unless someone complains loudly (and repeatedly).

Some truckers say they’re seeing rates crash while watching foreign plates roll through the yard hauling the exact same load they used to get.

📣 The Other Side: What Defenders Say

Supporters of more open borders in freight say:

“Without foreign carriers, freight gets delayed.” – There's already a driver shortage in the U.S. They say foreign help keeps supply chains alive.

“Blame the shippers, not the drivers.” – It’s U.S. companies outsourcing to save money — foreign drivers are just trying to feed their families.

“Rates are market-driven.” – No one’s forcing U.S. drivers to take $1.25 a mile. The market speaks.

It’s not black and white — there’s a whole lot of gray in the logistics hustle.

⚖️ Is Cabotage Being Enforced?

Technically, yes.
In reality? Not much.

FMCSA has said they’re working with U.S. Customs and Border Protection to improve oversight. But without consistent roadside checks and better digital tracking, most violations fly under the radar.

And let's be real — unless someone files a formal complaint, it's easy to slip through the cracks.

🔚 Bottom Line

Is cabotage law being broken? Yes.
Are foreign drivers single-handedly destroying U.S. trucking? Nope.

But…

U.S. truckers are facing real challenges — low rates, weak enforcement, rising costs.

Shippers and brokers exploiting loopholes are a huge part of the problem.

And until the system fixes enforcement and accountability? The tension will only grow.

So are jobs being hijacked? Depends who you ask.
But the load board don’t lie.

📣 Call to Action

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