Trump cracks down on English-proficiency among truck drivers in new executive order
- Brandon Wiseman
- 15 hours ago
- 7 min read
Updated: 50 minutes ago
On April 28, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order titled “Enforcing Commonsense Rules of the Road for America’s Truck Drivers." For trucking companies, drivers, and safety professionals, the order represents a significant shift in federal policy, particularly in its rigorous enforcement of English proficiency requirements for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) operators. In this article, we summarize the executive order, explore its implications, and provide historical context, including the 2015 and 2016 FMCSA memorandums and the 2016 Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) directive that shaped English proficiency enforcement predating this order.
In an interview with Breitbart, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy commented:
This language requirement is in place for obvious reasons. Drivers, especially operators of heavy vehicles, need to understand critical traffic information like warnings for steep grades or dangerous conditions. Commercial drivers must also communicate effectively during essential inspections or emergencies and interact safely with law enforcement. This isn’t complicated. It’s basic common sense. Americans should not be forced to share the road with illiterate truck drivers. Allowing anyone unable to read a stop sign or understand a police officer to operate trucks weighing up to 80,000 pounds directly threatens the safety of both your family and mine.
Overview of the Executive Order
The executive order highlights the indispensable role of truck drivers in America’s economy and national security, describing their work as “demanding and dangerous” yet vital for the nation’s supply chain. Organized into six sections, the order outlines actionable steps to enforce existing regulations, strengthen safety, and support the trucking workforce. Below, we break down each section and its key directives.
Section 1: Purpose
The order emphasizes the critical need for safety on America’s roadways, tying English proficiency to operational effectiveness. Referencing Executive Order 14224 (March 1, 2025), which designated English as the official U.S. language, the administration asserts that drivers must read and speak English to understand traffic signs, communicate with authorities, and complete reports, as mandated by 49 C.F.R. 391.11(b)(2). It notes that this federal requirement has been inconsistently enforced, leading to safety risks.
“Proficiency in English… should be a non-negotiable safety requirement for professional drivers. They should be able to read and understand traffic signs, communicate with traffic safety, border patrol, agricultural checkpoints, and cargo weight-limit station officers.”
Section 2: Policy
The administration’s policy focuses on supporting truck drivers by enforcing English proficiency standards, reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens, and fostering a safe and efficient motor carrier industry. This balanced approach aims to enhance safety while addressing driver challenges.
Section 3: Enforcing English Proficiency Requirements
This section mandates swift action by the Secretary of Transportation, through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), to rescind the 2016 guidance document, “English Language Proficiency Testing and Enforcement Policy MC-ECE-2016-006,” within 60 days. New guidance will outline revised inspection procedures to ensure compliance with 49 C.F.R. 391.11(b)(2). Additionally, the FMCSA must revise out-of-service criteria to place drivers who fail to meet English proficiency standards out-of-service, collaborating with relevant entities, including the CVSA, to implement this change.
“The Secretary of Transportation… shall, within 60 days of the date of this order, rescind the guidance document… and issue new guidance to FMCSA and enforcement personnel outlining revised inspection procedures…”
Section 4: Strengthening Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Security
The order directs the FMCSA to review non-domiciled CDLs issued by state agencies for irregularities and evaluate protocols for verifying the authenticity of domestic and international commercial driving credentials. This initiative seeks to prevent fraud and ensure only qualified drivers operate CMVs.
Section 5: Supporting Truck Drivers
Within 60 days, the Secretary of Transportation is tasked with identifying and implementing measures to improve truck drivers’ working conditions. These could include administrative, regulatory, or enforcement actions to address challenges like inadequate rest facilities, long hours, or excessive compliance requirements.
Section 6: General Provisions
The order clarifies that it does not impair existing departmental authorities or create enforceable rights against the United States. It will be implemented consistent with applicable laws and available appropriations, with the Department of Transportation funding its publication in the Federal Register.
Historical Context: The Evolution of English Proficiency Enforcement
The English proficiency requirement for CMV drivers, codified in 49 C.F.R. 391.11(b)(2), has long been a federal standard, but its enforcement has been inconsistent. To fully grasp the significance of the 2025 executive order, we must examine the FMCSA’s policies from 2015 and 2016, as well as the CVSA’s 2016 directive, which collectively shaped the enforcement landscape.
2015 FMCSA Memorandum
In 2015, the FMCSA issued a memorandum that relaxed enforcement of the English proficiency requirement. This guidance allowed drivers to use translators or language-assistance apps during inspections. However, safety advocates criticized the memorandum, arguing that drivers with limited English skills posed risks by struggling to read signs or communicate in emergencies. A 2024 FMCSA report linked 15% of trucking accidents to language barriers, costing the industry $2.3 billion annually.
2016 FMCSA Guidance Document
On June 15, 2016, the FMCSA issued the “English Language Proficiency Testing and Enforcement Policy MC-ECE-2016-006,” which clarified testing and enforcement procedures but maintained a permissive stance. The guidance did not require standardized testing or impose strict penalties, resulting in varied enforcement across states. Critics argued it failed to address safety risks. The guidance was shaped by the industry’s reliance on non-fluent drivers, with Census data indicating that 30% of CMV drivers lack English proficiency.
2016 CVSA Directive
In 2016, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), a nonprofit organization that develops uniform inspection and enforcement standards for commercial vehicles, issued a directive to its member jurisdictions to guide English proficiency assessments during roadside inspections, noting that English proficiency violations would not result in an out-of-service order. The directive provided inspectors with discretion to evaluate a driver’s ability to communicate in English, often through simple conversational tests or questions about traffic signs and logs. However, it did not mandate specific testing protocols or require out-of-service orders for non-compliance, aligning with the FMCSA’s flexible approach at the time. This leniency meant that drivers with limited English skills could often continue operating, provided they passed other inspection criteria. The CVSA directive was intended to standardize enforcement but was criticized for its lack of rigor, contributing to the safety concerns highlighted in the 2025 executive order.
The 2015 memorandum, 2016 FMCSA guidance, and 2016 CVSA directive were responses to practical challenges—driver shortages and a diverse workforce—but they prioritized accessibility over stringent safety standards. The Trump administration’s focus on safety and deregulation during its first term laid the groundwork for the 2025 order, which seeks to reverse these earlier policies and strengthen enforcement.
Implications for the Trucking Industry
The executive order introduces significant changes that will impact carriers, drivers, and safety professionals. Below, we explore the key implications, including the specific impact on the CVSA’s 2016 directive, and what they mean for your operations.
Enhanced Safety Standards and Impact on CVSA Directive
The order’s emphasis on enforcing English proficiency requirements aims to reduce accidents linked to language barriers. The directive to revise out-of-service criteria to include English proficiency violations marks a significant departure from the CVSA’s 2016 directive, which allowed inspectors discretion and did not require out-of-service orders for language deficiencies. Under the new policy, drivers who fail to demonstrate sufficient English skills during inspections will be placed out-of-service, aligning CVSA enforcement with stricter federal standards. It's also in line with recent legislative efforts at the state level in states like Arkansas, which seek to crack down on this issue.
This change will likely require CVSA to update its inspection protocols and possibly train inspectors to consistently assess English proficiency, likely through standardized questions or tests tied to job functions like reading signs or responding to inquiries.
For carriers, this means heightened scrutiny during roadside inspections. Drivers must be prepared to demonstrate English proficiency, or risk being sidelined, which could disrupt operations. Carriers should prioritize training and screening to ensure compliance and minimize inspection violations.
CDL Security and Compliance
The review of non-domiciled CDLs and verification protocols targets licensing fraud, particularly in states with high issuance rates. Carriers using non-domiciled drivers should verify credential validity to avoid compliance issues. This focus will likely lead to stricter state-level processes, such as Arkansas' recently passed legislation, requiring carriers to maintain accurate records and ensure driver qualifications.
Implementation Challenges
The FMCSA faces a challenging 60-day timeline to rescind the 2016 guidance, issue new inspection procedures, revise out-of-service criteria, and review CDL processes. Coordinating with the CVSA and state agencies to align enforcement practices, particularly updating the 2016 CVSA directive, will be complex. Funding constraints, as noted in the order, may limit the scope of new initiatives. Legal risks also exist. Carriers should stay vigilant, monitoring FMCSA and CVSA updates to prepare for stricter compliance requirements.
Practical Steps for Carriers
To navigate this evolving regulatory landscape, carriers should consider the following steps:
Assess Driver Qualifications: Verify that all drivers meet the English proficiency standard under 49 C.F.R. 391.11(b)(2). Conduct internal audits to identify and address gaps.
Provide Training: Offer English-language training programs to support non-native speakers, reducing the risk of out-of-service violations during CVSA inspections.
Validate CDLs: Confirm the authenticity of all driver credentials, especially non-domiciled CDLs, to ensure compliance with enhanced verification protocols.
Monitor FMCSA and CVSA Updates: Stay informed about new guidance and revised CVSA inspection protocols to align your safety programs with federal and industry standards.
Conclusion
President Trump’s Executive Order of April 28, 2025, is a pivotal development for the trucking industry, prioritizing safety through enforced English proficiency and enhanced CDL security. By rescinding the 2016 FMCSA guidance and aligning CVSA enforcement with stricter out-of-service criteria, the order overturns the lenient approaches of the 2015 memorandum and 2016 CVSA directive, addressing long-standing safety concerns.
We'll continue to monitor and report on this executive order and its developments over the coming weeks. Stay tuned for details. Subscribe to our mailing list here.
About Trucksafe Consulting, LLC: Trucksafe Consulting is a full-service DOT regulatory compliance consulting and training service. We help carriers develop, implement, and improve their safety programs, through personalized services, industry-leading training, and a library of educational content. Trucksafe also hosts a livestream podcast on its various social media channels called Trucksafe LIVE! to discuss hot-button issues impacting highway transportation. Trucksafe is owned and operated by Brandon Wiseman and Jerad Childress, transportation attorneys who've assisted some of the nation’s leading fleets to develop and maintain cutting-edge safety programs. You can learn more about Trucksafe online at www.trucksafe.com and by following Trucksafe on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Or subscribe to Trucksafe's newsletter for the latest highway transportation news & analysis. Also, be sure to check out eRegs, the first app-based digital version of the federal safety regulations aimed at helping carriers and drivers better understand and comply with the regulations.