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California, Washington, and New Mexico are under scrutiny by the USDOT for violations of regulations requiring English proficiency for truck drivers.
California, Washington, and New Mexico are under scrutiny by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) for alleged violations of federal regulations requiring English proficiency for truck drivers, as well as for allowing previously disqualified drivers to remain on the road.
Two of these states reportedly issued Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) to Harjinder Singh, the driver involved in a fatal accident that claimed the lives of three people after he made an improper U-turn due to his inability to understand traffic signs in English.
In response, the DOT has given these states a 30-day deadline to comply with federal regulations. Failure to do so could result in the loss of millions of dollars in federal funding.
USDOT Secretary Sean Duffy stated that the audit of non-domiciled CDL holders is nearing completion, and that the Department will ensure commercial driving schools do not abuse the system.
California, Washington, and New Mexico must comply with ELP standards
On Tuesday, August 26, Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy announced that California, Washington, and New Mexico must comply within 30 days with the guidelines issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) regarding English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirements for commercial drivers.
These guidelines were first published on May 20 and went into effect on June 25, following an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in April. Duffy warned that non-compliance would carry serious consequences for the states involved.
According to the DOT, none of the three states has submitted an enforcement plan to remove drivers from service who fail the English proficiency test, despite the federal regulation already being in force.
“States cannot choose which federal safety regulations to follow,” Duffy stated. He emphasized that it only takes one incident, like the one on August 12, to realize that when states fail to enforce the law, they put all drivers’ lives at risk. Secretary Duffy also reaffirmed that truck drivers should be put out of service if they cannot demonstrate English proficiency.
A political controversy
Singh’s case has become a political flashpoint, sparking tensions between the governors of California and Florida, while Duffy continues to highlight the Trump administration’s concerns about immigration.
Duffy reported that since the new language rules took effect, California has conducted around 34,000 inspections, with only one English language violation resulting in a driver being placed out of service.
In Washington, over 6,000 safety violations were recorded, yet only four drivers were disqualified for failing to meet English requirements. New Mexico, meanwhile, has not removed any drivers from service since the regulations went into effect, according to Transport Topics.
State authorities have not yet issued an official response to the proposed sanctions announced by Secretary Duffy.
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