On Tuesday morning, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy promised to support the trucking industry by acting to enforce English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirements for commercial vehicle drivers at the direction of the Trump Administration.
During a press event in Austin, Texas, on May 20, Duffy was joined by trucking industry stakeholders, including the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) and the Texas Trucking Association, to emphasize the U.S. Department of Transportation’s (USDOT) commitment to upholding an April 28 White House Executive Order (EO) requiring increased enforcement of existing regulations requiring that commercial vehicle drivers speak and read English.
Duffy announced the official rescinding of a 2016 policy that removed the requirement to place drivers out-of-service for ELP violations. Duffy stated that in 2015, before the Obama-era ELP policy was issued, approximately 99,000 ELP violations were issued, and that 1,000 of those drivers were taken out-of-service. Duffy said that in 2024, only 10,000 ELP violations were issued, and zero drivers were placed out-of-service for ELP violations.
“That’s not going to happen anymore. We’re going to put safety first,” Duffy said.”Allowing drivers who cannot read stop signs or understand police officer’s instructions to operate an 80,000 pound big rig threatens the safety of every American on our roadways.”
Duffy announced that USDOT would issue new guidance to ensure “a driver who can’t understand English will not drive a commercial vehicle in this country. Period. Full stop.”
Duffy highlighted other action that USDOT is undertaking in order to comply with the EO, including a review of non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) issued by relevant State agencies and an investigation into “the security procedures of how CDLs are given.” Duffy also noted the EO’s directive to improve working conditions for U.S. truckers and mentioned increasing truck parking availability as a possible action in that direction.
OOIDA President Todd Spencer also spoke at the event in support of USDOT’s increased ELP enforcement.
“This is a good day for truckers. It’s a good day for families. And it’s a good day for common sense,” Spencer said. “Out on the road, there’s no margin for error. Truckers drive 80,000-pound vehicles through all kinds of terrain—steep mountain passes, narrow turns, busy city streets. The only thing separating safe trips from deadly ones can be a simple road sign. These signs aren’t suggestions. They’re warnings. They save lives—but only if they’re understood. That’s why English proficiency behind the wheel isn’t some bureaucratic requirement—it’s a life-and-death safety standard. Truckers must be able to read road signs, communicate with law enforcement, and respond in emergencies. When that doesn’t happen, people get hurt—or worse. But for nearly a decade, enforcement of this requirement was gutted. The result? Safety violations didn’t go away—they just stopped being tracked.”
You can watch the press event below.
