Milwaukee, Oct 10
Prominent Indian-American businessman and philanthropist Darshan Singh Dhaliwal has raised concerns with US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy over new trucking regulations that he said have cost tens of thousands of drivers their livelihoods, including a large number of Sikhs and other Indian-Americans.
Dhaliwal, a native of Punjab's Patiala district and a 2023 recipient of the Pravasi Bharatiya Samman, India's highest honour for overseas Indians, raised the issue during a meeting with Duffy last week at his Milwaukee-area residence, urging the Trump administration to address the impact of commercial driving licence cancellations on drivers and trucking businesses.
In an exclusive interview with IANS on Friday, Dhaliwal estimated that between over 50,000 drivers had been affected by the measures, many of whom had been earning a comfortable living before losing their ability to work.
"Our people are suffering. Our people are good truck drivers," Dhaliwal said, arguing that the actions had affected experienced drivers who had been working in the industry for years.
"They were making good money, good living, and all of a sudden they're off the job," he said.
Dhaliwal said the problem extended beyond the Sikh community, affecting Indian-origin drivers from Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat and other states.
"It's not only Sikh. If you take as a Indian community," he said, stressing that the concerns should be viewed in the broader context of the Indian-American community and the trucking industry.
He said the consequences were being felt not only by individual drivers but also by trucking businesses, some of which operated fleets of hundreds of vehicles.
According to Dhaliwal, several Indian-American trucking operators had suffered substantial financial losses, while the reduction in available drivers was also contributing to higher transportation costs.
Asked whether the disruption had affected consumer prices, he replied, "Yes, that's one of the reasons."
Dhaliwal said Duffy had emphasised road safety as his principal concern during their discussions, referring to serious highway accidents and allegations involving driving schools that had issued fraudulent credentials.
He said community representatives supported strict enforcement against improperly trained drivers and fraudulent licensing practices but opposed measures that indiscriminately affected qualified drivers.
"We don't want anybody to get a fake license or not do proper driving," he said.
Dhaliwal also acknowledged the importance of English-language proficiency for commercial drivers, saying those operating heavy vehicles across the United States should meet the necessary standards.
The community's position, he said, was that drivers who fulfilled training, safety and language requirements should be treated equally and allowed to continue working.
Dhaliwal said the Transportation Secretary had listened to their concerns and indicated that he would work on the issue.
The meeting lasted approximately two hours.
Dhaliwal explained the economic and social consequences of the licensing restrictions directly to a senior member of President Donald Trump's administration. The Sikh leader said he had been receiving calls from affected families, including those concerned about relatives facing deportation after working in the trucking industry.
