The trucking industry is caught in the midst of a labor crisis. At any given moment, it is estimated that the United States is short by 24,000 truck drivers. The financial impact is profound; idle trucks, unable to transport freight, can cost the economy nearly $100 million every week. This issue isn't new—we have heard these warnings before—but what is different this time is the emergence of a legislative movement that could offer a genuine solution, and it is gaining significant support.
The Dignity Act of 2025 is a bipartisan immigration bill currently gaining traction in Congress. It includes a set of provisions that could make it easier and significantly faster for employers to legally hire foreign labor through the existing EB-3 visa program. For transportation companies struggling to recruit and retain drivers, the Dignity Act could finally offer real relief.
What is the Dignity Act?
While the bill would most immediately address the status of undocumented immigrants already living in the U.S., it also includes long-overdue reforms to the legal immigration system. These changes directly affect the EB-3 visa process, which many U.S. companies use to fill essential, non-professional roles such as long-haul truck drivers, diesel mechanics, dispatchers, and warehouse support staff.
For years, the EB-3 category—capped at just 10,000 visas annually—has suffered from processing backlogs compounded by outdated quotas and bureaucratic delays. Most frustrating of all is the way these visas are counted: the worker, their spouse, and their children are all deducted from the total.
In practical terms, this means only about 3,000 actual workers are allowed into the country each year under the “Other Workers” EB-3 category—a shockingly small number for a nation facing historic labor shortages in logistics. The Dignity Act proposes a simple fix: only the principal worker would be counted toward the cap, not their dependents. This straightforward change has massive implications and could accelerate visa availability by two years or more.
Why trucking needs this
Unlike other sectors, trucking faces both an aging workforce and an increasingly difficult recruitment landscape. Fewer young Americans are entering the profession, and attrition rates remain high due to lifestyle demands and regulatory burdens. In this environment, qualified foreign workers are an essential part of the solution.
Under the EB-3 program, foreign laborers must meet rigorous requirements, including background checks, employment verification, and full immigration vetting. These workers are motivated, trained, and ready to fill long-standing vacancies. Currently, however, visa retrogression and application delays force employers to wait years to onboard staff—time they simply do not have. The Dignity Act would help clear this backlog, allowing trucking companies to regain workforce stability.
Infrastructure to support the change
The bill does more than change the "visa math"; it provides substantial funding to the agencies that handle these processes. It proposes to appropriate:
- $225M to the Department of Labor for faster labor certifications (PERM).
- $2.56B to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to reduce I-140 and green card processing delays.
- $852M to the State Department to ease consular delays.
Additionally, it creates a new Immigration Agency Coordinator to ensure better communication between agencies—a role that is sorely lacking today. For trucking and freight companies, this legislation means spending less time chasing status updates and enjoying more predictability in long-term workforce planning.
A tool, not a silver bullet
While promising, the Dignity Act is not a shortcut. It enhances a system that already requires U.S. employers to prove there are no qualified domestic workers available for the job. It maintains strong screening and accountability mechanisms. Its primary value lies in offering much-needed clarity and a workable timeline for companies that want to hire legally and responsibly.
What trucking companies should do now
Even as the Dignity Act moves through Congress, proactive carriers should begin preparing by:
- Assessing future workforce needs: Determine how international hires fit into your long-term driver strategy.
- Building internal systems: Familiarize yourself with EB-3 documentation and compliance so you are ready when timelines accelerate.
- Partnering with trusted agencies: Choose partners who specialize in EB-3 recruitment and compliance rather than unverified labor contractors.
- Staying engaged: Support from the trucking and freight industry is vital to helping this reform become law.
The turning point
For years, employers have offered better pay and benefits to close the labor gap. However, the conversation has often ignored how legal, employment-based immigration can help.
The Dignity Act of 2025 is the missing piece of the puzzle. It aligns our immigration system with the realities of the modern labor market. This is not about politics; it is about practicality. If passed, this bill could mark a turning point for companies ready to grow without being stuck in a multi-year holding pattern.
The question is no longer whether we need labor—it is whether we will finally have the tools to bring it in responsibly. Let’s hope Congress delivers, and let’s be ready when they do.
