Truck drivers sounded the alarm about the number of CDL holders who can’t read or speak basic English.
Regulators and lawmakers listened.
After the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association petitioned the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance in March, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced in May that the DOT would begin enforcing existing English-proficiency regulations for truck drivers.
Proponents of the regulation say that it is simply unsafe for people who can’t read electronic road signs or take directions from a law enforcement official to be operating an 80,000-pound vehicle across the country.
Plenty of lawmakers agree.
This year, several bills have been introduced with the goal of addressing English proficiency in the trucking industry.
OOIDA has publicly supported three of the bills – Connor’s Law, the Commercial Motor Vehicle Proficiency Act and the Secure Commercial Driver Licensing Act.
Connor’s Law
Back in May, Rep. David Taylor, R-Ohio, introduced Connor’s Law, which requires CDL holders to communicate English well enough to operate safely.
The bill puts into law an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in April, calling for the enforcement of English-proficiency regulations. Connor’s Law would also require a driver to demonstrate basic English skills before ever receiving a CDL.
“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 proficient in our national language, English,” Trump wrote in the order.
Connor’s Law refers to Connor Dzion, who died at the age of 18 in a crash involving a tractor-trailer. A separate accident caused Dzion to be stuck in traffic for about an hour when a truck driver crashed into a line of stopped vehicles. The truck driver was said to be unable to read English and reportedly passed signs set up by Florida law enforcement warning of the crash ahead.
HR3608 has 16 co-sponsors.
On Oct. 8, Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., introduced Connor’s Law in the Senate. Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., is a co-sponsor of S2991.
Commercial Motor Vehicle English Proficiency Act
Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., introduced S2114 in June.
The Commercial Motor Vehicle English Proficiency Act would require drivers to be tested for English before they can receive a CDL.
S2114, which has two co-sponsors, would also require CDL skill and knowledge tests to be conducted in English.
“Common sense would tell us that anyone driving on American roads, especially those operating large trucks and trailers, should be capable of understanding what the road signs say or how to communicate with police,” Marshall said in a news release. “Kansans deserve to know that commercial operators are held to the highest safety standards.”
Secure Commercial Driver Licensing Act
The Secure Commercial Driver Licensing Act was introduced earlier this month in the House and Senate.
The bill would ensure a CDL applicant’s English proficiency by requiring that tests be conducted only in English. The bill would allow the Department of Transportation secretary to suspend or revoke a state’s authority to issue non-domiciled CDLs if they aren’t compliant with federal standards.
Under the bill, an individual must possess a driver’s license for at least one year before being eligible for a CDL.
The Senate version, S3013, is led by Sens. Tom Cotton, R-Ark.; Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn.; and Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala. The House bill, HR5767, is sponsored by Rep. Andy Barr, R-Ky. The Senate bill has four co-sponsors.
“If you drive a truck in the United States, you should be able to speak English fluently,” Tuberville said in a news release. “This protects our law enforcement officers and the general public. This is not only about safety and efficiency – it’s just common sense.”
The WEIGH Act
Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., introduced the Weigh Station Enforcement to Intercept and Guard Highways Act in September.
HR5177 would direct the U.S. Department of Transportation to ensure that states enforce English-proficiency requirements and review commercial driver’s licenses for irregularities during checks at weigh stations.
Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., is a co-sponsor.
SAFE Drivers Act
In October, Rep. Pat Harrigan, R, N.C., recently introduced the Standardized Assessment for Fluency in English (SAFE) Drivers Act.
HR5800 would require the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to develop a uniform test to be administered during CDL issuance and renewal in every state. The test would determine if the applicant can read road signs, understand verbal instructions and complete written reports.
The part of the bill that’s receiving some pushback involves the renewal requirement. Under the bill, truck drivers who have already demonstrated their ability to speak English would need to do so every time they renew their CDL.
HR5800 has three co-sponsors. LL
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