May 21, 2025
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy signed a directive allowing the U.S. Department of Transportation to remove truck drivers who are not fluent in English. Duffy’s move directly responds to President Donald Trump’s executive order on April 28.
Truck drivers will have to pass a CDL exam and a test proving they can speak English. According to NBC News, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy signed a directive allowing the U.S. Department of Transportation to remove truck drivers who are not fluent in English. Duffy’s move directly responds to President Donald Trump’s executive order on April 28.
Under the order, Trump directed the revision of the English Language Proficiency Testing and Enforcement Policy. In 2016, under former President Barack Obama, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) removed the penalty of placing drivers out of service for violating federal English Language Proficiency. The Obama Administration relaxed the penalties for a citation.
However, Trump’s executive order changes it back to forcing drivers off the road.
“It is the policy of my Administration to support America’s truckers and safeguard our roadways by enforcing the commonsense English-language requirement for commercial motor vehicle drivers and removing needless regulatory burdens that undermine the working conditions of America’s truck drivers,” Trump states in his executive order, adding that it “will help ensure a safe, secure, and efficient motor carrier industry.”
Concerns For Truck Drivers Who Speak English As A Second Language
The American Truck Association has praised Trump for the new penalties under the executive order in a statement.
“We thank the Trump Administration for responding to our concerns on the uneven application of this existing regulation, and we look forward to working with FMCSA and the law enforcement community on an objective, consistent, and effective enforcement standard.”
However, others are concerned that the new guidance will lead to discrimination on the road as law enforcement agencies decide who to pull over to take the English proficiency test.
According to data from the Department of Transportation, nearly 4% of CDL holders are limited in English proficiency. An estimated 16% identify as immigrants.
“Is it someone who has an accent or maybe someone who wears a turban?” Mannirmal Kur, senior federal policy manager for the Sikh Coalition, told NBC News. “Being ordered out of service could potentially be unemployment for the truck driver … with potentially limited recourse.”
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