An amazing amount of commercial truck traffic moves through our part of the country each day. In fact, both Illinois and Indiana ranked within the Top Ten for trucking freight last year. Read, “Top 10 Largest States in the U.S. for Trucking,” written by Arielle Patterson and published by Commercial Truck Trader on March 24, 2025 (compiling data from the U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics). It is a challenge both for those sharing the roads with these big rigs as well as for the truckers themselves.
Consider this: both Illinois and Indiana have some of the country’s most infamous trucking bottlenecks. Among them, Chicago’s I-294 at I-290/I-88 (2nd most congested in the country) and Indianapolis’s I-65 at I-70 (North) (17th in the country). Read, “Top 10 Truck Bottlenecks – 2025” compiled and published by the American Transportation Research Institute in February 2025.
Combining the number of big rigs, tractor trailers, semi-trucks, and 18-wheelers rumbling though our area with the infrastructure challenges we currently face (think Project Rebuild Illinois), it is no wonder that Illinois and Indiana also rank among the most dangerous states for fatal semi-truck crashes in this country. See, Illinois and Indiana: Both Top 10 States for Most Truck Crash Fatalities and Semi-Truck Crashes in Chicago: Most Dangerous Routes, Riskiest Rigs.
Illinois ranked the 5th deadliest state for large truck crashes and Indiana ranked 9th in fatal large truck crashes in a recent study published by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (“FMCSA”). Read, “Commercial Motor Vehicle Crash Data Overview,” published by the U.S. Department of Transportation December 2024, page 9.
Given these risks, it is understandable that regulatory agencies, safety organizations, and advocates for truck crash victims and their loved ones have concerns about the people who are driving these huge and heavy motor vehicles on our roadways.
What about the truckers? Who keeps them safe? And are there dangerous drivers behind the wheel of some of the big rigs moving through our communities?
No Federal CMV License for U.S. Truck Drivers: CDLs Issued by the States
While the federal government regulates commercial trucking in our nation, insofar as it is involved in “in interstate, foreign, or intrastate commerce….” in some way, American truck drivers are not required to get a federal commercial motor vehicle (“CMV”) license in order to drive a large truck, big rig, or tractor trailer. There is no federal commercial driver’s license (“CDL”) requirement. See, 49 CFR §383.3(a).
Instead, pursuant to 49 CFR Part 383, the trucker must have a valid CDL from the state of their domicile. There are, however, lots of specific requirements within federal regulation, overseen by FMCSA, that must be followed not only by the truck driver but by trucking employers and the States themselves.
These include, regarding the commercial truck driver:
- The trucker can only have one CDL. They cannot get different CDLs from different states. This is called the “single license rule.” 49 CFR § 383.21.
- The trucker has to conform to the type of class in which the CDL is issued. CDLs are different. There are Class A, Class B, and Class C licenses for driving large trucks. 49 CFR § 383.91. For instance, a Class A CDL allows the truck driver to operate “… any combination of vehicles with a gross combination weight rating (GCWR) of 11,794 kilograms or more (26,001 pounds or more) provided the GVWR of the vehicle(s) being towed is in excess of 4,536 kilograms (10,000 pounds).”
- The trucker has to conform to the endorsements on their CDL. For example, they may not have an endorsement for hauling hazardous materials. If they don’t have the endorsement, they cannot legally drive a rig with HAZMAT cargo. 49 CFR §383.93.
- The truck driver must have passed the standardized knowledge and skills tests, with the state issuing the CDL providing a FMCSA approved driver information manual to the applicant. 49 CFR §383.131.
- The trucker needs to be fit for the job and may need a current medical examiner’s certificate in some instances. 49 CFR §391.41.
Additionally, federal regulations will disqualify individuals from driving a commercial motor vehicle if they have criminal histories including things like driving drunk convictions; leaving the scene of an accident convictions; as well as short disqualification periods for those violating laws against speeding; reckless driving; etc. 49 CFR §383.5.
CDL Reciprocity: Illinois and Indiana Respect Other States’ Valid CDLs
Truckers drive big rigs through our area every day who are not licensed by Illinois or Indiana to drive a semi-truck. Both Illinois and Indiana recognize the CDLs issued by all other states as valid. No trucker will be ticketed for driving without a proper license just because the CDL was issued in California, Texas, or Maine.
However, FMCSA does demand that Illinois and Indiana respect the federal disqualification and suspension regulations. Any trucker with an out-of-state CDL who drives in our communities with a disqualifying criminal history, for instance, is not legally operating the rig.
And if a trucker moves to another state, they need to get licensed all over again in their new state of domicile.
The FMCSA English Proficiency Rule for State CDLs
Federal regulations overseen by FMCSA also require commercial truck drivers to be able to read, speak, and understand English for safe CMV operation. A commercial truck driver must be able to read and speak English sufficiently for safe operation and official interactions pursuant to 49 CFR §391.11. This includes being able to identify specific signs and phrases found in the Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for Streets and Highways (“MUTCD”).
Many states do issue valid CDLs to non-English speakers through things like interpreters or multilingual written tests. For instance, the State of Illinois and the State of Indiana both offer their state CDL written tests in Spanish as well as English. They provide translated study guides and written exams. However, the applicants must still pass both the state road-skills driving test and on-road communication testing (think MUTCD) in English.
In 2025, FMCSA and the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (“CVSA”) tightened enforcement of English proficiency for truckers (new guidance and out of service criteria implemented last year). This may involve federal roadside inspectors pulling over big trucks to check the truck drivers, and placing truckers “out of service” who cannot demonstrate required English skills at the time of inspection. Read, “U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Signs Order Announcing New Guidance to Enforce English Proficiency Requirement for Truckers,” published May 20, 2025.
Non-Citizens Behind the Wheel: the New 2026 FMCSA Rule For Non-Domiciled CDLs
This year, FMCSA issued its final rule entitled “Restoring Integrity to the Issuance of Non-Domiciled Commercial Drivers Licenses,” effective March 16, 2026.
This new federal regulation limits CDL eligibility to H-2A, H-2B, and E-2 nonimmigrant status holders, who undergo enhanced interagency vetting. It eliminates EADs (Employment Authorization Documents); they are no longer accepted as proof of eligibility. And, states now have to query the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) system to confirm every applicant’s lawful immigration status.
From the Federal Register Summary:
Specifically, this final rule limits eligibility for non-domiciled Commercial Learner’s Permits (CLPs) and Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) for foreign-domiciled individuals to those who hold specific, verifiable employment-based nonimmigrant status. This rule reaffirms the IFR requirements, aligning the issuance of non-domiciled CDLs with FMCSA’s statutory mandate to ensure the fitness of all drivers who operate a CMV. By limiting eligibility to statuses subject to enhanced consular vetting of driver history and interagency screening, FMCSA restores the integrity of the CDL system, closes a significant safety gap, and enhances the safety of the traveling public.
Truck Crash In Indiana or Illinois With Invalid CDL Trucker
For both other truck drivers on our roadways as well as those sharing the roads with 18-wheelers and other large commercial motor vehicles in Illinois or Indiana, it is a valid concern that lots of these semi-trucks may be driven by a trucker from a faraway state, unaccustomed to our local infrastructure, or a trucker who does not speak English as their primary language.
Other truckers may be worried about things like congested truck traffic with its increased risk of a fatal chain reaction, where several semi-trucks may be involved in a deadly accident. Drivers of smaller vehicles (SUVs, pickups, sedans, etc.) may be concerned about the danger of a deadly truck crash on our roads, particularly our busy interstates where big rigs, tankers, reefers, etc., are moving at high speeds alongside the 4-wheelers.
In the event there is a tragic semi-truck crash where one of the trucker’s CDLs comes under scrutiny, the truck crash victims and their loved ones will have the right to an independent investigation into all the causes of the accident. Several different parties (companies, individuals) may have responsibility under the state law of Indiana or Illinois for what happened. Read, Semi Truck Crash Liability: Third Party Liability in Indiana Truck Accidents.
And after accident reconstruction experts alongside FMCSA investigators and law enforcement complete their analyses, legal advocates may find there are claims for injury damages or wrongful death claims correlated to the noncompliant CDL driver (for instance, did the trucker lack the proper endorsement?) such as:
- Motor Carrier / Trucking Company: vicarious liability, negligent hiring, negligent supervision, negligent training of the truck driver; and
- Freight broker: negligent selection or entrustment. See, Expanded Semi-Truck Crash Liability: SCOTUS Rules Freight Brokers Are Liable for Negligent Choices in Transporting Goods.
For more on fatal truck crashes, read:
- Truck Crash Injury Claim Evidence: ELDs, EDRs, and FMCSA Regulations to Show Liability
- Semi-Truck Crashes and Trucker Fatigue: FMCSA Regulations To Protect Against Drowsy Driving Truck Accidents
- How to Prove Distracted Driving Caused Serious or Deadly Accident in Chicagoland
- Truck Driver Drug Use in Indiana and Illinois: High Risk of a Fatal Truck Crash Caused by Impaired Trucker.
FMCSA oversees many aspects of our trucking industry, but it does not issue licenses to commercial truck drivers. That is done by the respective states, and their policies and procedures may vary. All sorts of state CDLs may be moving through our communities each day. Truck traffic is especially high in our Crossroads of America and the danger of a truck crash is higher here than in other parts of the country. Please be careful out there!
