Duffy restores enforcement of English language proficiency rules for truckers

AUSTIN, Texas — In a high-profile announcement, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy signed an order Tuesday to reintroduce strict enforcement of English language proficiency standards for commercial truck drivers. Backed by President Donald Trump’s recent executive order, the policy marks a shift in how the Department of Transportation will handle driver qualification violations moving forward, placing language noncompliance back on the list of criteria for placing drivers out of service.

“We are officially rescinding the reckless 2016 Obama guidance,” declared Duffy, referring to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration policy under President Barack Obama that discouraged law enforcement from removing drivers from the road solely for English proficiency violations. “We are issuing new guidance that ensures a driver who can’t understand English will not drive a commercial vehicle in this country — period, full stop.”

The event, hosted in conjunction with the Texas Trucking Association and attended by industry stakeholders, comes amid growing concerns over road safety and what Duffy described as a trucking industry “wild west” plagued by fraud, noncompliance and eroding regulatory standards.

He pointed to enforcement data, stating that, in 2015, prior to Obama’s changing the guidance, more than 99,000 drivers had English language proficiency violations and 1,000 of those were placed out of service.

“So let’s fast forward to 2024: That dropped to 10,000 violations, and zero were taken out of service for a violation of the English language proficiency,” Duffy said. “So think about that. That means we have let 1,000 of the worst offenders basically off the hook with a slap on the wrist. That’s not going to happen anymore. We’re going to put safety first.”

John Esparza, president of the Texas Trucking Association, welcomed the move.

“Imagine you’re in enforcement and unable to communicate roadside. This is basic,” Esparza said. 

For truckers and associations such as the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, the announcement marks a victory.

“This is a good day for truckers, a good day for families and a good day for common sense,” said OOIDA President Todd Spencer. He emphasized that English comprehension is not a bureaucratic hurdle but a life-and-death safety requirement.

“The only thing that separates safe trips from deadly ones can be a simple road sign,” Spender added.

Duffy’s remarks also touched on broader DOT initiatives. These include a review of non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses, improved CDL verification protocols and even a promise to address critical trucker quality-of-life issues such as parking shortages. Duffy acknowledged that truckers had been vocal online about unsafe working conditions and regulatory inconsistencies, and he vowed to make meaningful changes.

“Your president has grit. This is an industry that also has grit, and you have a USDOT right now that shares that grit,” Duffy said, invoking Trump’s post-assassination-attempt rallying cry of “Fight, fight, fight!” as a metaphor for the administration’s regulatory agenda.

J. Bruce Bugg Jr., chairman of the Texas Transportation Commission, welcomed Duffy to Texas. He said the state was demonstrating its commitment to transportation relationships and infrastructure with over $60 billion in road and highway improvements currently under construction. He said Trump’s approach to enforcing English language proficiency for truck drivers is common sense and stressed that all highway users are responsible for safety, regardless of their vehicle type.

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