After Sidelining 26,000 Truck Drivers, FMCSA Seeks to Lock in English Rules
The proposal would make English proficiency a permanent out-of-service standard, and officials say more than 26,000 drivers have already been removed.
- On Friday, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a proposal to codify English-language proficiency requirements into permanent federal regulations for commercial truck drivers.
- This proposal reverses a 2016 Obama-era policy that instructed inspectors to stop issuing out-of-service citations for English-proficiency violations; Duffy rescinded the memo and restored enforcement in April 2025.
- Since the administration reinstated strict enforcement, more than 26,000 drivers have been removed from the road for failing English-language proficiency, ensuring they can read road signs and communicate with emergency personnel.
- The Houston-based Professional Trucking Association Group said Sunday that permanent proficiency standards are a 'fundamental safety requirement' that promote 'consistent operational safety' across the supply chain.
- Critics may challenge the rule under the Administrative Procedure Act, claiming FMCSA defined 'proficiency' too vaguely, though the agency has 26,000 documented cases and evidence linking weak standards to fatal crashes.
13 Articles
13 Articles
26,000 truckers can’t read signs. Why are they driving 80,000-pound missiles?
On Aug. 7, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced a rule that never should have needed writing down: If you cannot read an English highway sign, you have no business piloting an 80,000-pound truck on an American interstate. Since Duffy’s crackdown began, more than 26,000 drivers have been pulled off the road for failing basic English proficiency checks. As a designated expert witness who testifies in court about whether someone met a duty…
Transportation Secretary Seeks English Proficiency Rule for Commercial Truckers
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is advancing federal rules to permanently mandate English-language proficiency and English-only commercial driver’s license (CDL) testing for all commercial truck drivers.
DOT Sec Duffy Mandates English Proficiency for Truckers to Get Dangerous Migrants Off America’s Highways.
The Department of Transportation has announced a new rule to permanently enforce English proficiency standards for commercial truck drivers, reversing Barack Obama-era policies that weakened such requirements.PULSE POINTS WHAT HAPPENED: The Department of Transportation (DOT) has announced plans to mandate permanent English proficiency for commercial truck drivers following a spate of deadly crashes involving foreign drivers. DETAIL: Secretary fo…
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