Requiring CDL tests in English a ‘no-brainer,’ lawmaker says

Calling it a “no-brainer,” Rep. David Taylor, R-Ohio, has introduced a bill that would require all CDL tests to be conducted in English.

Taylor introduced the Commercial Motor Vehicle English Proficiency Act, HR6233, on Thursday, Nov. 20. Currently, road skills tests must be administered in English, but knowledge tests can be given in any language. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association and the U.S. Department of Transportation have voiced safety concerns involving truck drivers who are unable to read electronic road signs or communicate with law enforcement officials.

HR6233 aims to ensure that only individuals who understand English well enough to comprehend road signs can obtain a CDL.

“It’s a no-brainer – if you want to drive an 80,000-pound vehicle on American roads, you should be able to read the road signs,” Taylor said in a news release. “Ohio families should be able to get in their cars without fear of being in a tragic collision at the hands of a driver of a heavy vehicle who can’t understand critical warning signs. This bill will ensure safety for everyone and prevent any more innocent American lives from being lost.”

Taylor’s bill serves as the House version of legislation introduced in June by Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan. Both versions would also implement FMCSA’s English-proficiency regulations into law.

“Common sense would tell us that anyone driving on American roads, especially those operating large trucks and trailers, should be capable of understanding what the road signs say or how to communicate with police,” Marshall said in June. “Kansans deserve to know that commercial operators are held to the highest safety standards.”

The House version has seven co-sponsors, while Marshall’s bill has two.

OOIDA, which submitted a petition earlier this year for the enforcement of existing English-proficiency regulations, supports both bills.

“Nobody cares about road safety more than professional truck drivers,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer said. “That’s why OOIDA and truckers across America strongly support Representative Taylor’s CMV English Proficiency Act, because it’s common sense that truck drivers should demonstrate they can read critical road signs before getting behind the wheel of an 80,000-pound vehicle on public roadways. In addition to reading road signs, professional truckers routinely communicate with law enforcement and first responders to do their jobs safely and effectively. Representative Taylor’s legislation aligns with OOIDA’s longstanding advocacy for stronger driver training standards, and we appreciate his leadership in making our roads safer for our members and the motoring public.”

Taylor has been a strong proponent of English-proficiency requirements for truck drivers as this is the second bill on the topic that he’s introduced in recent months.

Back in May, Taylor introduced Connor’s Law, which requires CDL holders to communicate English well enough to operate safely.

The bill would put into law an executive order signed by President Donald Trump in April that calls for enforcing English-proficiency regulations. Connor’s Law would also require a driver to demonstrate basic English skills before ever receiving a CDL. HR3608 has 16 co-sponsors. Sen. Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., introduced the Senate version in October. S2991 has two co-sponsors. LL