California's Precarious Position Highlighted in Sacramento Bee Op-Ed by CVTA Board Member, David Bither

A recent Sacramento Bee op-ed by CVTA Board Director David Bither focuses on a central issue confronting the commercial transportation industry: ensuring that professional drivers operating on public highways are properly licensed and trained.

In the op-ed, Bither highlights California’s failure to revoke thousands of unlawfully issued commercial driver’s licenses by the federal deadline. This lapse has led U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to initiate the withholding of nearly $160 million in federal transportation funding and warn that ongoing non-compliance could imminently jeopardize the state’s authority to issue commercial driver’s licenses.

Bither also emphasizes that California’s highways, among the nation’s busiest freight corridors, rely on the professionalism and preparedness of commercial drivers. Licensing or verification failures allow inadequately trained or improperly credentialed drivers to enter the workforce, putting road users and the supply chain at risk. Recent federal audits and enforcement actions by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration highlight these vulnerabilities.

Drawing on his experience as a seasoned California training provider, Bither stresses that professional commercial driver training must not be rushed or bypassed. Effective preparation requires qualified instructors, structured instruction, and supervised behind-the-wheel experience to ensure drivers can operate safely in real-world conditions. He notes that cutting corners in training or licensing creates risks that extend beyond individual operators.

CVTA has long emphasized that strong enforcement of federal training and licensing requirements is essential to maintaining safety and public trust. Federal initiatives such as Entry-Level Driver Training set baseline expectations for new drivers, but these standards are effective only if consistently enforced and supported by meaningful oversight.

CVTA supports ongoing state and federal collaboration to restore confidence in commercial driver licensing. This includes completing required license reviews and revocations, strengthening oversight of training and testing, and ensuring that professional drivers have earned their responsibilities through legitimate training and lawful credentialing.