DOT Tightens English-Language Requirements for Truck Drivers: 9,000 Could Be Taken Out of Service

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is seeking to tighten and make permanent the English-language proficiency requirements for commercial vehicle drivers. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has proposed codifying into a new regulation the guidelines that allow truck drivers who fail to meet these requirements to be placed out of service.

The proposal aims to consolidate the enforcement rules for so-called English Language Proficiency (ELP), which require commercial drivers to be able to read and communicate in English, as well as understand traffic signs and highway-related instructions.

If approved, the proposal would allow commercial vehicle drivers who cannot demonstrate sufficient English proficiency to be immediately placed out of service. According to the FMCSA, enforcement of the measure could result in approximately 9,000 drivers being taken out of service each year.

Tougher English Requirements for Truck Drivers

The FMCSA’s goal is to establish a uniform standard so that drivers who fail to meet these requirements cannot continue operating commercial vehicles on U.S. roads.

Sean Duffy defended the proposal as a road safety measure, arguing that drivers who cannot read warning signs or communicate with authorities should not be behind the wheel of vehicles that can weigh up to 80,000 pounds. Meanwhile, Derek Barrs, FMCSA Administrator, argued that the ability to understand traffic signs is essential to the safety of drivers and other road users.

The Department of Transportation said that enhanced enforcement of English-language proficiency requirements has already resulted in more than 26,000 drivers being placed out of service for failing the corresponding evaluations.

How Will the Measure Affect Truck Drivers at the Mexico-U.S. Border?

The new regulation seeks to give inspectors permanent regulatory authority to order an immediate out-of-service suspension when they determine that a commercial driver does not meet the requirements. One of the most significant aspects of the proposal is the tightening of enforcement at the Mexico-U.S. border.

According to statements from the Department of Transportation, there is a gap in the enforcement of these requirements within commercial zones along the border. The new proposal therefore seeks to close that gap through inspections designed to identify drivers who do not meet English-language proficiency requirements before they continue traveling to other U.S. communities.

According to the DOT, any driver who cannot adequately read or speak English could be stopped and placed out of service before leaving the border zone. This could be particularly significant for commercial transportation operations between Mexico and the United States, given the number of trucks that cross border points every day.

Officials Will Receive Training to Conduct the Inspections

The proposal also includes additional training for agents responsible for conducting inspections. If approved, approximately 100 FMCSA officials and 1,900 state inspectors working in commercial zones along the U.S.-Mexico border would receive training to identify commercial vehicle drivers who are subject to federal English-language proficiency requirements.

The FMCSA estimates that this training could be conducted through online sessions lasting approximately one hour.

The proposal is intended to establish a uniform procedure for determining when a driver fails to meet the requirements and when an immediate out-of-service order should be issued.