Texas Big Rig Insurance: San Antonio Issues 215 Fake CDLs

Texas Big Rig Auto Insurers want you to know about a fake CDL scheme going on in San Antonio. It has been going on since 2017, and is coming to a head in July, 2019 in Texas.

The FBI says it came to their attention with an audit in 2018, when they noticed unusually high numbers of CDLs issued by one particular San Antonio Department of Public Services(DPS) employee. They’ve traced the transactions to two CDL drivers Marino Maury Diaz-Leon, 52, and Fernando Guardado Vazquez, 40. MySA reports that both men are licensed commercial drivers, and that both are legal Cuban immigrants.

The FBI believes the scheme allowed hundreds of unqualified applicants to receive CDLs in exchange for thousands of dollars in bribes. It seems like the scam began in January, 2017. Hundreds of Texas based drivers are out there on the road right now in big rigs, without proper licensing. These proud new CDL drivers didn’t need to pass the test, and in fact many never even showed up for testing.

For his/her cooperation with authorities, the name of the DPS worker has not been made public. Officials estimate the bribes totaled tens of thousands of dollars.

The Impact on Texas Big Rig Insurance

If you’ve read our other blogs, you know that we explain big rig insurance as a club that drivers pay to be in. Your premiums are low when everyone in the club drives safely and correctly. Claims cause insurance premiums to go up for everyone.

Properly licensed, safe OTR drivers are potentially being insured by the same Texas commercial truck insurance companies that are unknowingly insuring drivers with fake CDLs. That puts legal truckers at risk of paying for claims caused by illegal drivers, in the form of increased premiums. It puts Texas big rig insurance companies at risk to lose millions of dollars. If these drivers do damage to others, it’s the insurance company that pays.

Ultimately it’s up to the FBI to identify fake CDL drivers. They should be pulled off the road immediately. But it begs the question of shippers and freight companies in Texas: what can you do to better vet your drivers? Is a valid CDL enough to hire? If you’d love to discuss this and other hair-raising insurance topics contact us.

David Ott

David Ott