SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CALIFORNIA — A Bay Area truck driver with two young children lost his commercial driver’s license on March 6, 2026, after the federal government ordered California to revoke thousands of non-domiciled CDLs. He has not worked since. His monthly truck loan payments continue. His bank denied his request for a deferment.
The driver, whose last name is Singh, has legal authorization to live and work in the United States. A judge approved his asylum case. He applied for a green card three years ago. It has not yet arrived. Had it arrived, he would be exempt from the federal enforcement actions that cost him his license.
Singh worked as an independent contractor, hauling freight across the country. He earned between $11,000 and $16,000 a month. Four years ago he bought his own truck for $160,000. He carries $3,000 in monthly loan payments and $1,500 a month in insurance. Since losing his CDL, he cannot drive the truck.
The California DMV issued him a temporary license to drive a car. Singh says many employers do not recognize it as valid ID because it is not a hard copy and has no photo.
In March, Singh called his bank to request a deferment on his truck loan payments while he waits for a decision on his license. The bank denied the request. It told him it had received a number of similar calls from other truck drivers that same week.
His wife has started working as a nanny while he searches for other employment. “What kind of job is going to pay off the rent and all these payments?” Singh said in a phone interview, while his two children — ages 4 and 8 — called for him in the background.
The California DMV told Singh and other affected drivers they may reapply for their licenses but that processing will take up to a year. Even then, the DMV has told a state court it may not be able to issue a decision on the licenses due to conflicting federal directives.
Interview courtesy of CalMatters. Driver’s first name withheld at his request due to concerns about immigration enforcement.
📸 Image(s) used under fair use for news reporting.
