To earn a Commercial Driver’s License in the U.S., a candidate must be able to speak English sufficiently. But, for the past several years, this requirement has been flimsy and unenforced.
On April 28, 2025, the White House released an executive order by President Trump to hold truckers to the English-speaking requirement.
Under this executive order, truck drivers who are caught without English proficiency will be placed out-of-service — meaning they are no longer permitted to operate a commercial motor vehicle.
The History of the Truck Driver English-Speaking Rule
Since the 1930s, commercial truck drivers in the United States have been required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to have a “sufficient” understanding of English.
The text of the regulation says an eligible motor vehicle driver “can read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, to understand highway traffic signs and signals in the English language, to respond to official inquiries, and to make entries on reports and records,” (49 CFR 391.11(b)(2)).
They must be able to read and write English well enough to do their job duties. They must be able to speak the language well enough to engage in conversations with other English-speakers.
This rule has been in place for about 90 years. However, in 2016, a government policy instructed law enforcement officers not to issue out-of-service orders to drivers solely for a lack of English proficiency.
Since then, the FMCSA English-speaking rule has been virtually unenforceable.
What Does the New Rule Say About English Proficiency for Heavy-Truck Drivers?
President Trump’s tightening of trucker eligibility requirements comes after he designated English as the official national language in March. “Proficiency in English…should be a non-negotiable safety requirement for professional drivers,” he wrote in April’s executive order.
The FMCSA will rescind the June 2016 policy, then revise federal criteria so that truckers who violate the English-proficiency requirement are placed out-of-service.
Out-of-Service Orders for Truck Drivers: How Do They Work?
The U.S. Department of Transportation has dozens of requirements and regulations intended to make commercial trucking safer.
When a heavy truck (a semi tractor-trailer, dump truck, 18-wheeler, flatbed truck and trailer, etc.) is pulled over for a roadside inspection, it may receive an out-of-service (OOS) violation. These are serious safety violations and prevent the driver from operating their vehicle until the problem is resolved.
There are driver-related violations and vehicle-related violations. Lacking English language proficiency would be a driver-related violation.
Other driver-related violations include driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol, exceeding hours-of-service limits, or failing to obey traffic control devices. Vehicle-related violations include faulty headlights, worn tires, and failure to properly secure a load, for example.
What’s the Big Deal?
The trucking industry has a high percentage of foreign-born workers. Immigrants are overrepresented in trucking, according to Census data. Whereas 17% of the American workforce is comprised of immigrants, nearly 19% of truck-drivers are foreign born.
Some sources attribute this to the trucker shortage around 2020. With fewer native-born people seeking a career in trucking, companies turned to immigrant or foreign-born drivers.
This helped make up for the deficit. However, it worsened language barriers within the industry.
Without sufficient knowledge of English, drivers struggle with:
- Pre-trip inspections
- Paperwork related to loads and delivery
- Signage and maps
- Instructions
Truckers — especially over-the-road truckers — encounter every roadway scenario imaginable. They navigate different terrains, drive through work zones, face brutal weather conditions, and park overnight in unfamiliar cities.
These circumstances are daunting for anyone, but they are exponentially more dangerous when the truck driver cannot understand, read or speak a country’s dominant language.
Can I Get a CDL if I Don’t Speak English?
With more than 40 million Spanish-speaking residents in the U.S., and Spanish ranking as the country’s second most popular language, many wonder if the CDL written exam should be offered in languages other than English.
In July 2024, Illinois sought to make truck- or bus-driving more accessible. The written CDL exam in Illinois can be translated to Spanish, but the road test and pre-trip inspection must still be conducted in English. This ensures that the drivers are able to understand verbal instructions and comply with FMCSA standards.
Twenty other states, like Maryland, Texas, and Virginia, offer the test in Spanish. Washington state is the most open, allowing CDL candidates to test in English, Spanish, Russian or Serbian-Croatian.
This will likely face scrutiny as the current administration cracks down on non-English-speaking truck drivers.
Some drivers seeking their CDL prepare for the test in English, memorizing what they need to, and pass. However, when they become licensed truckers driving across the country, this limited knowledge of English is not nearly enough.
When a Trucker Without English Proficiency Causes a Wreck
Thousands of wrecks involving commercial motor vehicles occur each year in the United States. These vehicles can weigh up to 40 tons. They tower over sedans, SUVs and pickup trucks.
Crashes between semi tractor-trailers and passenger vehicles, or between two heavy trucks, are often catastrophic. After these wrecks, the people affected want answers.
What happens when a truck driver cannot explain to an officer what caused the wreck?
Imagine how much is lost in translation when a semi-truck driver tries to explain a horrific crash through Google Translate. Many translation services can be helpful, but all of them pose a risk. In a situation where serious bodily injury or wrongful death has occurred, these drivers cannot afford to miscommunicate.
Yet, it happens every day.
Over the years, I have taken many depositions of semi-truck drivers who could not speak or read English. In fact, to take the deposition, they required interpreters to translate my questions and their answers. Many of these drivers spoke Spanish, but we have also encountered many semi drivers from Eastern Europe who don’t speak English.
Making the Commercial Trucking Industry Safer in the U.S.
The commercial trucking industry has a long way to go in terms of safety. Ensuring that all professional truck drivers can speak English sufficiently is just one step.
Newcomers to the trucking industry must receive more thorough training. Trucking companies must conduct routine maintenance on their big rigs. Speed limiters, automatic emergency braking systems, and electronic logging devices must be used across the board.
The attorneys at Craig, Kelley & Faultless, a personal injury and wrongful death law firm, represent truck-wreck victims across the country. They have seen children permanently injured, families devastated, and lives cut short by truck drivers’ negligence.
If you have been injured in a crash caused by a heavy truck, Craig, Kelley & Faultless can investigate your wreck and fight insurance companies on your behalf. Our attorneys will hold negligent trucking companies accountable.
For a free case consultation, reach out to us today at (800) 746-0226 or with our online form.
David W. Craig is a nationally recognized truck accident lawyer who sits on the Board of Regents of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys (which requires the board certification in truck accident law). He is the managing partner and one of the founding partners of Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC. He is recognized as a Top 10 Trucking Trial Lawyer and Top 100 Trial Lawyer in Indiana by the National Trial Lawyers, as well as a Top 50 Indiana lawyer by Super Lawyers. He was the recipient of the National Thurgood Marshall “Fighting for Justice” Award for his work helping victims of truck wrecks. David is the author of Semitruck Wreck, A Guide for Victims and Their Families, written to help people navigate a terrible situation by answering questions that come after a tragic wreck. He also hosts the podcast After the Crash, where you can gain valuable information about the dangers involving semis and large trucks that do not follow Indiana law safety protocol regarding speed, weather conditions, maintenance upkeep, etc.
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