The trucks keep rolling on Highway 99 in California, the route bustling with freight traffic through the Central Valley. And behind the wheel is often a turbaned Sikh man, their cabs adorned with religious symbols, portraits of Sikh Gurus, or posters of Punjabi singers.
Sikhs, a religious minority group from India, have become a large part of America's trucking industry, helping to deliver everything from California strawberries to lumber across the country.
But a crash in Florida and its aftermath have sent shivers through the Sikh trucking community that could have economic consequences.
There are approximately 750,000 Sikhs in America, and about 150,000 working in the trucking industry, mostly as drivers. The role they play in this essential industry is evident from the names on their trucks' doors - Singh Trucking, Punjab Trucking - to the curry served at rest stops along the west coast, where approximately 40% of all truck drivers are Sikh, according to the North American Punjabi Trucking Association.
Many have limited English skills but years of driving experience.
