Experienced South African Truck Drivers Want To Work In The USA
Topic 32853 | Page 1
Gerhard, welcome to Trucking Truth!
I am sorry to let you down sir, but the U.S. does not issue work visas for truck driving jobs. There is a political reason for this dating back to the glory days of the teamster's union.
I believe your only option would be to look into the H2B visa program. But I’m not a hundred percent on that. This is something you’ll really have to look into on your own.
There is no path to immigrate to the USA and legally work as a CDL driver. You'd have to fill out forms, pay fees and wait behind the MILLIONS of people coming across our southern border and cutting to the front of the line. In about a decade you will be eligible for a green card, but you'll have to train and test for a US CDL from scratch since the US doesn't recognize a South African CDL.
There is a program for immigrating to Canada as a truck driver. With Express Entry you could be driving with a Canadian CDL in less than a year. The US does have full CDL reciprocity with Canada so you would be able to legally drive in the US, but you would have to reside in Canada.
CDL:
Commercial Driver's License (CDL)
A CDL is required to drive any of the following vehicles:
- Any combination of vehicles with a gross combined weight rating (GCWR) of 26,001 or more pounds, providing the gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of the vehicle being towed is in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any single vehicle with a GVWR of 26,001 or more pounds, or any such vehicle towing another not in excess of 10,000 pounds.
- Any vehicle, regardless of size, designed to transport 16 or more persons, including the driver.
- Any vehicle required by federal regulations to be placarded while transporting hazardous materials.
CSA:
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA)
The CSA is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicle
FMCSA:
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
The FMCSA was established within the Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000. Their primary mission is to prevent commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities and injuries.
What Does The FMCSA Do?
- Commercial Drivers' Licenses
- Data and Analysis
- Regulatory Compliance and Enforcement
- Research and Technology
- Safety Assistance
- Support and Information Sharing
SAP:
Substance Abuse Professional
The Substance Abuse Professional (SAP) is a person who evaluates employees who have violated a DOT drug and alcohol program regulation and makes recommendations concerning education, treatment, follow-up testing, and aftercare.
DOT:
Department Of Transportation
A department of the federal executive branch responsible for the national highways and for railroad and airline safety. It also manages Amtrak, the national railroad system, and the Coast Guard.
State and Federal DOT Officers are responsible for commercial vehicle enforcement. "The truck police" you could call them.
Dm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.Fm:
Dispatcher, Fleet Manager, Driver Manager
The primary person a driver communicates with at his/her company. A dispatcher can play many roles, depending on the company's structure. Dispatchers may assign freight, file requests for home time, relay messages between the driver and management, inform customer service of any delays, change appointment times, and report information to the load planners.New Reply:
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Hello ppl.
I'm an experienced licenced truck driver living in South Africa hoping to find a company willing to sponsor me wrt visa etc. to work in the US.
Anyone here able to guide and inform me wrt to the process and requirements involved for a foreigner to be employed by an American company.