USPS to axe unvetted, non-domiciled CDL contract drivers

Truck drivers with a non-domiciled CDL who haul mail for the government just got put on notice.

Under Secretary Sean Duffy, the U.S. Department of Transportation has been aggressively targeting non-domiciled CDL holders. In June, Duffy announced a nationwide audit of state-issued CDLs to “ensure only qualified, properly documented drivers are getting behind the wheel of a truck.”

On Aug. 12, a fatal crash in Florida involving a truck driver with a non-domiciled CDL poured fuel on an already-burning fire. That prompted the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association to urge the DOT and state governors to take action.

It didn’t take too long for the DOT to respond. In September, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration issued an interim final rule adding heavy restrictions to non-domiciled CDLs.

Since then, the DOT has threatened to pull funding from several states it deems non-compliant. That includes California, Colorado, Minnesota, New Mexico, New York, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Texas and Washington.

Even the Department of Homeland Security has gotten involved. After the Florida crash, DHS weighed in on non-domiciled CDLs.

“Three innocent people were killed in Florida because Gavin Newsom’s California DMV issued an illegal alien a commercial driver’s license – this state of governance is asinine,” DHS posted on social media.

Three innocent people were killed in Florida because Gavin Newsom’s California DMV issued an illegal alien a Commercial Driver’s License—this state of governance is asinine.

How many more innocent people have to die before Gavin Newsom stops playing games with the safety of the… https://t.co/QrEMOsDnIL

— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) August 18, 2025

Immigration and Customs Enforcement has since conducted numerous raids targeting undocumented drivers. ICE arrested 130 truck drivers during one raid alone in Oklahoma.

Now, the U.S. Postal Service is addressing the issue.

On Monday, Jan. 5, the agency announced it will work with contracted trucking providers to phase out any non-domiciled CDL holders “who have not been thoroughly vetted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.”

USPS did not provide any details on how it will remove unvetted, non-domiciled CDL holders who drive for third-party contracted carriers. It is not known how many drivers may be affected by the new policy. There are about 4,600 trucking contracts with the USPS, but a carrier can have multiple contracts. A 2022 Office of Inspector General report showed there were about 1,750 highway contract route suppliers in September 2021.

“The safety of our employees, our customers, and the American public is of the utmost concern to the Postal Service,” Amber McReynolds, chairwoman of the Postal Service Board of Governors, said in a statement. “In order to maintain the highest possible safety standards, we have decided to phase out any use of non-domiciled Commercial Driver’s License operators who have not been thoroughly vetted by the Postal Inspection Service.”

USPS hauls 55,000 loads by truck each day, logging in nearly 2 billion miles per year. Its latest move aligns with the current administration’s interim final rule addressing non-domiciled CDLs.

Contracted truck services for USPS have been under heavy scrutiny.

Last year, a damning OIG report unveiled a contracting system with little to no vetting or monitoring. Consequently, unsafe motor carriers were allowed to obtain contracts and keep them, even after being involved in a crash.

Soon after the OIG report was published, the House passed the Mail Traffic Deaths Reporting Act. Introduced by Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., the bill required USPS to collect, track and publicly report information related to deaths and injuries resulting from crashes involving trucks contracted to transport mail.

The bill died in the Senate. However, USPS said legislation was not necessary in the first place.

“Postal Service employees and third-party trucking companies and brokers are contractually required to report every accident, which we track and monitor,” the agency said in a statement. “They are also expected to operate safely, and adhere to all federal, state, and local laws, and our contracts provide for termination, withholding of awards and renewals, and other appropriate corrective actions to be taken with respect to highway contractors that have a poor highway safety record.” LL

Land Line Senior Editor Mark Schremmer contributed to this story.