UPDATE: On December 22, the Sikh Coalition and our allies filed suit against the California Department of Motor Vehicles (CA-DMV) for their suspension of more than 20,000 non-domiciled commercial drivers licenses. Learn more about this lawsuit here, and if you live in California, send a message to the CA-DMV urging them to fix this problem here. As of December 30, the CA-DMV granted an extension to ~17,000 drivers whose licenses were set to expire in January of 2026; learn more about this temporary relief here.
A significant portion of the U.S.-based Sikh population works in the trucking industry, including many drivers. The Sikh Coalition has worked with many Sikh and Punjabi truck drivers in the past who have experienced discrimination from hiring as evidenced by our landmark 2016 settlement with J.B. Hunt to Sikh truckers experiencing discrimination with their articles of faith or even hate crimes.
In 2025, we identified the need for updated resources for Sikh truck drivers after the Trump Administration’s executive order regulating English language proficiency in the industry. We will continue to learn more and update information about ELP as new guidance is issued.
Please note that none of the resources on this page constitute formal legal advice.
HELP LINE
Because policies related to trucking are changing so rapidly, the Sikh Coalition has launched a new Punjabi language trucker helpline. If you or someone you know is a Sikh trucker who has faced discrimination on the basis of your Sikh identity, call our confidential phoneline at 212-287-9169 and leave a message in English or Punjabi.
RESOURCES
Trucker Know Your Rights (Updated June 2025)
This new iteration builds on our previous trucking “Know Your Rights” resource: It still includes information about workplace accommodations and police stops, as well as new material about immigration concerns and the Trump Administration’s new rules around English language proficiency (ELP).
Google Document (Good For Copying and Pasting) English | Punjabi
Community Flyer (Good For Printing and Hanging in Gurdwarae, Truck Stops, Trucking Schools, etc.) English | Punjabi
Trucker Know Your Rights Printable Brochure English | Punjabi
This brochure includes all the Know Your Rights information in the documents above, and includes the English and Punjabi text in one place. It is designed to be easily printed for individual or widespread use. It also includes information surrounding the Trump Administration’s September 2025 Interim Final Rule (IFR) that stripped around 200,000 drivers of their Non-Domiciled Commercial Drivers Licenses (CDLs) and Commercial Learners Permits (CLPs) based on certain kinds of immigration status.
Analysis of the IFR by Sikh Coalition and Asian Law Caucus English | Punjabi
Know Your Rights Voice Notes (Punjabi)
These voice notes, under a minute long give different snippets of the information from the Know Your Rights documents and can be easily shared via WhatsApp.
Voice Note: New English Language Proficiency Rules 1
Voice Note: New English Language Proficiency Rules 2
Voice Note: Your Rights During A Police Stop
Voice Note: Workplace Accommodations
Voice Note: General Know Your Rights Resource Announcement
Policy Work
UPDATE: On December 22, the Sikh Coalition and our allies filed suit against the California Department of Motor Vehicles (CA-DMV) for their suspension of more than 20,000 non-domiciled commercial drivers licenses. Learn more about this lawsuit here, and if you live in California, send a message to the CA-DMV urging them to fix this problem here.
The Sikh Coalition continues to study the new ELP requirements and work to prevent any potential discrimination against Sikh/Punjabi drivers. View our first letter to the Department of Transportation here, and our second letter here.
To be clear, the Sikh Coalition is not opposed to common sense safety reforms—including the obvious fact that all truckers must have basic English language skills to drive safely in the United States. We are committed, however, to working to ensure that any new rules resulting from this order do not disproportionately or discriminatorily impact Sikh and Punjabi truckers.