Monday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order the White House said is meant “to keep American families safe on the road by ensuring anyone behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle is properly qualified and proficient in English.”
A statement from the White House said:
- The Order directs the Secretary of Transportation (Sean Duffy) to rescind guidance that watered down the law requiring English proficiency for commercial drivers. (That guidance was issued in 2016.)
- It mandates revising out-of-service criteria to ensure drivers violating English proficiency rules are placed out-of-service, enhancing roadway safety.
- It instructs the Secretary of Transportation to review state issuance of non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses to identify any irregularities and ensure American drivers are validly licensed and qualified.
- The order directs the Secretary of Transportation to carry out additional administrative, regulatory, or enforcement actions to improve the working conditions of America’s truck drivers.
In addition, the White House said Trump “believes that English is a non-negotiable safety requirement for professional drivers, as they should be able to read and understand traffic signs; communicate with traffic safety officers, border patrol, agricultural checkpoints, and cargo weight-limit station personnel; and provide and receive feedback and directions in English.”
Federal law already mandates commercial vehicle drivers be able to read and speak English sufficiently, but Trump said this requirement has not been enforced “pursuant to Obama Administration guidance.”
Trump signed an earlier executive order making English the official language of the U.S. His executive order comes on the heels of Arkansas requiring truckers be proficient in English and a law being proposed in Oklahoma requiring the same. Earlier this month, a Wyoming member of Congress called on Duffy to repeal the Obama-era guidance.
The trucking industry has responded positively to Trump’s executive order.
Earlier this month, ATA President & CEO Chris Spear sent a letter to Duffy urging DOT to “immediately review its directives related to enforcement of the English proficiency standard” and work with the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance to ensure proper and consistent enforcement action is taken.
The organization representing owner-operators had a similar response to Trump’s executive order.
“OOIDA and the 150,000 truckers we proudly represent strongly support President Trump’s decision to resume enforcement of English proficiency requirements for commercial drivers,” said OOIDA President Todd Spencer. “Basic English skills are essential for reading critical road signs, understanding emergency instructions, and interacting with law enforcement. Road signs save lives — but only when they’re understood. That’s why OOIDA petitioned the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance earlier this year to reinstate English proficiency as an out-of-service violation. Today’s announcement is a welcome step toward restoring a common-sense safety standard.”
Not every organization is pleased with Trump’s executive order on trucker language.
It is estimated that 150,000 Sikhs work in the U.S. transportation industry, and that 90% of that number are drivers.
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