Forty truckers from Mexico have been placed out of service since enforcement of English proficiency standards began last week, Mexican trucking officials say. 

The Executive Order requiring all truck drivers to effectively communicate with law enforcement in English and thoroughly understand highway signs officially went into effect on June 26th. Since then, forty truckers have been placed out of service for their inability to comply with these standards, reported KXAN.

Vice president of the Northwest Chapter of the Chamber of Freight Transportation in Mexico, Israel Delgado Vallejo, says that the drivers placed out of service were driving through Texas, Mississippi, and Arkansas. 

“The enforcement has been primarily in these states, but no one has lost their license in California,” he said.

Delgado Vallejo says that there are likely about 80,000 truck drivers from Mexico that cross into the US on a daily basis, and around 70% of them would be unable to meet English proficiency standards. 

“Twenty to 30 percent can easily manage, but the remaining 70 percent probably can’t hold a conversation or know basic English to get by, but if you take them all off the road, it will have severe implications in the supply chain and cripple the economy of both countries,” he said.

In an attempt to solve this looming issue, multiple trucking groups and trucking companies are now offering English language classes to drivers in hopes to bring them up to the new standard. 

The forty truckers placed out of service for english proficiency reasons may face between $10,000 and $50,000 in fines if found driving again without improved English proficiency.