Overview

• President Trump signed an executive order requiring commercial truck drivers in the U.S. to demonstrate English proficiency, citing road safety concerns.
• Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy is tasked with revising inspection procedures, implementing literacy tests, and verifying commercial driver’s license authenticity under the new directive.
• The order mandates stricter enforcement of 'out-of-service' criteria for drivers failing to meet English proficiency standards, reversing a 2016 Obama administration memorandum.
• Supporters argue the measure is a common-sense safety reform, while critics, including the Sikh Coalition, warn it could disproportionately impact immigrant drivers and create employment barriers.
• This directive follows Trump’s March 2025 executive order establishing English as the official language of the United States, part of a broader effort to promote national unity through language policy.