National Times Bureau :- A tragic road accident in Florida has led the United States government to take a strong decision affecting thousands of foreign truck drivers. After a Punjabi truck driver made a wrong U-turn, causing a deadly crash, the US has immediately suspended the issuance of work visas for commercial truck drivers.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced this decision on his social media account, stating that the increasing number of foreign truck drivers operating large tractor-trailers is putting American lives at risk and threatening the livelihood of local drivers.
The Florida Accident That Sparked the Ban
The crash took place last week in Florida when 28-year-old Harjinder Singh, who had reportedly entered the US illegally, made a sudden illegal U-turn on a highway. A minivan collided with the rear of his truck and was crushed underneath.
The collision killed three people on the spot — a 30-year-old man driving the van, a 37-year-old woman, and a 54-year-old man. Videos of the horrific accident quickly went viral on social media.
Following this incident, the US government announced an immediate halt on issuing work visas for commercial truck drivers — a rare instance where one driver’s mistake has impacted an entire sector.
The US trucking industry is already facing a shortage of around 24,000 drivers, according to a recent report. This shortage has been causing delivery delays and weekly losses estimated at $95.5 million for the logistics sector.
Punjabis in the US Trucking Industry
According to ASAM News (June 2025), about 150,000 Sikhs are employed in the US trucking sector, with nearly 90% working as truck drivers. Older estimates from 2020 suggest that more than 30,000 Punjabi truck drivers were active on American highways — making up nearly one-fifth of the entire workforce.
