Visa policy may seem remote from your day-to-day hauling needs, but its effects show up quickly in your hauling capacity, schedules, and budgets.
Reminder: In August 2025, the U.S. State Department paused new visas for commercial truck drivers (notably H-2B, E-2, EB-3) pending safety reviews.
Here are four key ways this visa policy cascades downward and impacts hauling capacity in Texas.
Visa Policy Impact #1: Driver Pool Shrinks Overnight
That policy decision immediately reduced the number of foreign nationals eligible to legally step into driver roles.
For general contractors, this tightening of the labor pool means fewer trucks available for moving aggregates, equipment, or demolition debris when you need them most.
Visa Policy Impact #2: Competition for Drivers Heats Up
With fewer visa-eligible drivers entering the workforce, competition intensifies for qualified U.S. drivers.
Trucking firms – including those supporting infrastructure projects – find themselves bidding against one another to secure talent.
For small DBE-certified haulers, shortage can mean turning down work they’d otherwise take, especially with federal emphasis on English-language proficiency (ELP) further narrowing the pool.
The knock-on effect? General contractors may struggle to meet federally required DBE participation targets on transportation projects.
(Remember, too, that the eligible pool is already narrower due to parallel federal emphasis on English-language proficiency (ELP) enforcement, which is also pertinent in Texas.)
Visa Policy Impact #3: Cross-Border Hauling Slows
Many infrastructure projects in Texas depend on cross-border hauling from Mexico and will feel this visa policy restriction first.
Visa restrictions can slow or even halt the entry of qualified drivers, creating delivery gaps for aggregates, equipment, or demo debris coming from or through Mexico.
For example, imagine how material supply for a South Texas roadway project will be delayed if H-2B visa holders aren’t available to backfill shortages – causing knock-on effects for your schedule and budget.
Visa Policy Impact #4: Costs Rise as Capacity Tightens
When capacity tightens, rates climb – and even small delays are costly for general contractors. Schedule slips or capacity premiums add up fast on multi-haul jobs.
ATRI’s latest benchmarking shows industry marginal costs around $2.26–$2.27 per mile and ~$91 per truck-hour.
Cowboy Trucking Pivots Through Visa Policy Changes
Visa policy decisions can ripple straight into hauling capacity. Tight driver supply increases competition, complicates DBE participation on federally funded work, and raises schedule and cost risk.
Cowboy Trucking in Dallas and beyond has the resources to keep your project moving forward – on schedule, on budget, and in compliance despite outside shocks.
When you want a dependable hauling partner in Dallas, we get the job done. Let’s talk!
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