WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Transportation Research Institute is asking truck drivers and motor carriers to report where and when they are witnessing illegal cabotage, as part of a new study to measure the economic impact unauthorized foreign trucking activity has on the U.S. trucking industry.
ATRI unveiled the survey on May 14, 2026. Cabotage laws prohibit Mexican and Canadian B-1 visa-holding truck drivers from delivering freight between two points both located inside the United States. While B-1 visa holders are generally allowed to make one pickup or delivery in the U.S., ATRI said anecdotal evidence suggests some foreign drivers are actively conducting ongoing business throughout the U.S. beyond the border commercial zones.
“Cabotage laws were created to protect U.S. jobs and ensure that a level playing field exists,” said Kaitlyn Holmecki, American Trucking Associations’ Director of International Policy. “When illegal low-cost transportation services undercut domestic freight operations, the entire trucking industry pays the price.”
Survey results will be used to develop an economic model calculating the real costs and impacts cabotage has on U.S. truck drivers and fleets. All responses will be kept strictly confidential and used only in summary statistics.
The survey follows recent enforcement actions by U.S. Border Patrol. In March 2026, a Mexican truck driver’s B-1/B-2 visa was revoked after agents found he had transported produce from Yuma, Arizona to Grandview, Washington. Earlier this month, another Mexican driver’s visa was revoked after he was found hauling commodities from Nogales, Arizona to Laredo, Texas.
The survey is open through Friday, June 12, 2026, and can be accessed here.
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