California has moved to revoke roughly 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) after a federal mandate determined the licenses no longer meet U.S. Department of Transportation standards. The affected CDLs will expire within 60 days, leaving thousands of truck drivers in Bakersfield and across the state facing sudden unemployment.
Many of the impacted drivers—primarily immigrants—say the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is misinterpreting federal requirements and ignoring valid work permits.
Gurman Singh, an Indian immigrant with 11 years of trucking experience, said he received a notice last month informing him that his CDL would be revoked. Singh, a father of two, called the situation devastating and is seeking legal help and support from community groups.
“My life, my livelihood, everything, depends on the CDL. How can I feed my family if I lose my CDL?” Singh said.
Dave Laut, president of the Bakersfield Trucking Association, said his office has been overwhelmed with calls from experienced drivers who have spotless records but are facing the same cancellations. He estimated that at least 5,000 Bakersfield-area truckers received revocation notices. Laut said the policy—linked to concerns over fatal crashes involving foreign-born drivers—unfairly targets immigrants.
“Your skin color cannot tell you how safe you are or unsafe you are,” Laut said. “Some people have lived here their whole lives. They came here when they were two, they have DACA, and they’ve been driving for 25 years. How are they unsafe overnight?”
Avie Nagra, CEO of Roadies Inc. in Bakersfield, said the mandate has hit his company hard. He said he had to replace 20 percent of his fleet after 60 drivers left in the last two months.
“This was a DMV error. But who’s paying the price? Not the DMV,” Nagra said. “The DMV issued the cancellations, but these drivers are the ones suffering.”
Bakersfield Vice Mayor Manpreet Kaur, whose father was a truck driver, said the fallout goes far beyond the Punjabi and immigrant communities. She warned that revoking thousands of CDLs will cripple the economy.
“I feel it is my job to advocate for this. And I worry about our economy,” Kaur said. “This is not just a truck-driving issue or a Punjabi community issue. This is a serious economic threat to our region, our state, and our country.”
Kaur noted that civil rights groups are petitioning the California DMV to reverse the cancellations. Advocates hope the state will act before the 60-day deadline in January.
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