DOT says English reg prioritizes safety

The U.S. Department of Transportation is making it a priority to enforce a federal law that requires commercial drivers to possess basic English skills.

During a news conference on May 20 in Austin, Texas, DOT Secretary Sean Duffy said that making sure America’s truck drivers can read traffic signs and communicate with law enforcement officers is critical to highway safety.

Duffy said that’s why the DOT will begin enforcing an existing regulation that requires commercial driver’s license holders to demonstrate English proficiency. Leaders of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, which got the ball rolling on the issue in March when it asked for violators to be placed out of service, attended the May event in support of the DOT’s efforts.”

OOIDA also emphasized that the issue roots back to the lack of driver training standards in the industry.

“Federal law has always been very clear. Commercial drivers must be proficient in English,” Duffy said. “English is the language of opportunity in America. Allowing drivers who cannot read stop signs or understand police officers’ instructions to operate an 80,000-pound big rig threatens the safety of every American on our roadways. There are numerous examples across the country where we’ve had people who are operating this kind of equipment who can’t speak the language, and the results have been devastating.”

History of English-proficiency regulation

The regulation that requires commercial motor vehicle drivers to “read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, to understand highway traffic signs and signals …” has been on the books in some form since 1936.

Starting in 2005, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance considered non-compliance with the regulation an out-of-service violation. That changed in 2015, when CVSA voted to drop the enforcement of the English-proficiency regulation from the out-of-service criteria.

Earlier this year, OOIDA petitioned CVSA to again take violators of the rule off the road. Following an executive order from President Donald Trump on April 28, CVSA voted in May to reinstate the out-of-service order and to shore up CDL testing standards.

Adding to Trump’s executive order, the DOT issued new guidance aimed at enforcing the regulation.

“We’re here to restore common sense and safety to our roadways,” Duffy said. “For too long, misguided policies have prioritized political correctness over the safety of the American people … We are issuing new guidance that ensures a driver who can’t understand English will not drive a commercial vehicle in this country. Period. Full stop. Enforcing out-of-service violations is about preventing tragedies and saving lives.”

‘A life-and-death safety standard’

Delivering remarks at the event in Austin, OOIDA President Todd Spencer explained that there is “no margin for error” when it comes to driving a heavy-duty truck.

“Truckers drive 80,000-pound vehicles through all kinds of terrain – steep mountain passes, narrow turns, busy city streets,” Spencer said. “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.”

Spencer added that strengthening licensing standards and training requirements is a “no-brainer” for improving highway safety.

In a video posted days after the news conference, OOIDA further explained the need for the rule and that drivers are not expected to be extensively fluent in the language. Additionally, the Association said it should all start at the driver-training level.

“(Drivers) need to understand basic safety messages,” OOIDA Executive Vice President Lewie Pugh said. “That’s fair. That’s doable, and that’s something training schools should have already been teaching and testing.”

Truckers heard

Truck drivers are not known for being shy, and Duffy said he’s noticed. In addition to receiving feedback on English proficiency, Duffy noted the administration is listening and working to take steps toward improving the truck driving profession in a variety of other ways.

“I hear from the truckers a lot, and this English-proficiency issue was one of the big ones,” he added. “They’ve also said that the quality of life can be improved. ‘You could help us out at U.S. DOT.’ That means looking at critical needs like truck parking, which impacts the lives of truckers every day on the road. There will be more to come on this, but you can be assured that the DOT is committed to helping truckers and trucker safety.

“From not enforcing English proficiency to broker fraud to non-domiciled CDLs, it kind of feels like the trucking industry has become the Wild West with a lot of bad actors who have been able to play in this space. We’re going to end the play of bad actors, and we’re going to support, encourage and prop up the great businesses, the great drivers and the great brokers that make this country work and move our products.” LL