English proficiency

Is English proficiency enforcement the right focus for safer roads?

In a controversial return to past policy, the Trump administration and Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy have reestablished lack of English language proficiency (ELP) as an out-of-service (OOS) violation for commercial drivers. 

“My Administration will enforce the law to protect the safety of American truckers, drivers, passengers, and others, including by upholding the safety enforcement regulations that ensure that anyone behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle is properly qualified and...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/is-english-proficiency-enforcement-the-right-focus-for-safer-roads

How trucking can prepare for Trump’s new CDL rules of the road

Safer roads and better alignment between freight demand and trucking capacity are two potential benefits emerging from President Donald Trump’s Emergency Order on English proficiency for truck drivers, but carriers should prepare for operational and cost implications as well.

The significance of the order, which includes a review of commercial driver’s licenses issued to foreign drivers working in the U.S., was further elevated when the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance voted just days later to...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/how-trucking-can-prepare-for-trumps-new-cdl-rules-of-the-road

CVSA votes to put truck drivers with limited English out of service

The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance board of directors voted on Thursday to make English proficiency violations grounds for truck drivers to be placed out of service, a decision that could significantly reduce trucking capacity.

The vote, held under an emergency provision in CVSA’s bylaws, came just days after President Donald Trump issued an executive order directing that the federal out-of-service criteria be revised to reflect the policy change, reversing a less stringent policy that has...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/cvsa-votes-to-put-truck-drivers-with-limited-english-out-of-service

Trump to require that truckers speak and read English

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WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump plans to sign an executive order on Monday requiring that truck drivers be able to speak English or be placed out of service.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed via social media a Breitbart report on the anticipated order.

“Today @POTUS and I will be making a big announcement to make our roadways safer and put American truckers first,” Duffy posted, linking to the report.

Stay tuned! Today @POTUS and I will be making a big announcement to make our...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/trump-to-require-that-truckers-speak-and-read-english

Trump’s Executive Order For Trucking Revives a Rule Nearly 90 Years Old

In 2025, the national conversation around English proficiency and trucking safety resurfaced with new intensity. Two executive orders, signed by President Donald Trump, renewed emphasis on English language requirements, both at a cultural level and at the level of commercial motor vehicle operations.

On March 1, an executive order formally designated English as the official language of the United States. It revoked Executive Order 13166, which had promoted multilingual government services since...

https://www.freightwaves.com/news/trumps-executive-order-for-trucking-revives-a-rule-nearly-90-years-old