Overview

• President Trump signed an executive order mandating that commercial truck drivers demonstrate English proficiency to comply with federal safety regulations.
• Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has been directed to rescind 2016 guidance that relaxed enforcement and to issue new inspection and testing protocols within 60 days.
• The order requires placing non-compliant drivers out of service and improving verification processes for commercial driver’s licenses to enhance roadway safety.
• Industry groups like the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association support the move, while advocacy groups, including the Sikh Coalition, express concerns about potential discriminatory impacts on immigrant drivers.
• Federal data links a 30% rise in fatal truck crashes to the relaxation of English proficiency enforcement, underscoring the administration's safety rationale.