The ‘ingenious strategy’ behind most truckers’ least favorite week of the year: International Roadcheck
International Roadcheck started as a highway safety effort, but recent enforcement trends are widening its impact well beyond the usual three-day inspection blitz. Immigrant advocates say the week has become part of a broader enforcement drive that indiscriminately targets foreign-born truckers who are legally permitted to be in the country, adding a new layer of risk for some drivers who already expect tough scrutiny during Roadcheck.
The current shift is closely tied to federal policy. After an April executive order from President Donald Trump calling for “commonsense rules of the road” to be applied to U.S. truckers, the U.S. Department of Transportation issued new guidance directing inspectors to place drivers out of service if they do not speak sufficient English.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said more than 9,500 commercial truckers have been taken off U.S. roads for failing English-language proficiency checks. The administration has also drawn links between increased immigration under former President Joe Biden and road safety, arguing that drivers who can’t read traffic signs may miss critical warnings.
For working drivers, the immediate consequence of stepped-up language enforcement is simple: more out-of-service orders. During International Roadcheck, that can mean lost revenue, missed appointments, and more pressure on already-tight schedules. For fleets and owner-operators running cross-border lanes or relying on immigrant labor, the stakes can be higher if drivers are sidelined in large numbers.
The enforcement push is also playing out beyond roadside inspections. In September, Duffy sought to sharply limit commercial driver’s licenses for foreign-born applicants, though that move has been paused by a federal court. Separately, in recent months, hundreds of truckers have been swept up in Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids across Oklahoma, Texas, Indiana and New York, according to the information provided.
At the same time, parts of the freight market are showing signs of tightening. FTR reported that total broker-posted spot rates in the Truckstop.com system rose by the most in a week since March to their highest level since early July during the week ending Dec. 5. Refrigerated spot rates were highlighted as especially strong, surging by the most since International Roadcheck week in May to their highest level since January 2023.
Truckstop.com described the Dec. 5 week as “a remarkable surge” that could suggest an inflection point if the pattern holds, with gains reported across equipment types and the strongest jump in reefer rates.
Outside the U.S. inspection and enforcement picture, cross-border freight has also faced disruptions. Farmers and truckers have been using tractors and heavy machinery to block key highways and border bridges nationwide, slowing cross-border freight to a crawl, according to the information provided.
International Roadcheck has long been viewed by many drivers as the most stressful week of the year because it concentrates inspection activity and out-of-service decisions into a short window. This year’s broader backdrop—tighter language enforcement, immigration-related actions, and freight-market volatility—helps explain why the event is drawing more attention, and why the consequences are extending beyond the usual focus on equipment, logs, and basic safety compliance.