Spending bill with two big trucking provisions heads to president

The House passed a $1.2 trillion spending package with a narrow vote on Tuesday, Feb. 3.

While the biggest news nationally is that the bill’s passage will end the partial government shutdown, the package also includes significant provisions related to trucking.

The bill, which passed by a 217-214 vote, includes $200 million in funding for truck parking. It would also make President Donald Trump’s executive order regarding English proficiency for truck drivers into law.

It will all become official once Trump signs the funding bill into law, which he has already promised to do once it reaches his desk.

Money for truck parking – finally

For years and years, truckers have informed lawmakers and regulators about the nationwide shortage of truck parking. The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association and the American Trucking Associations reported that there is only one parking space for every 11 truck drivers, and law enforcement officials have noted an abundance of truckers parking on the shoulder and in other dangerous locations because they were unable to find a spot.

However, Congress never pulled the trigger by funding the expansion of truck parking capacity – until now.

The funding bill dedicates $200 million toward the creation of public truck parking.

Recipients of the funding will not be allowed to charge for the truck parking spaces. Additionally, the funds cannot be used for electric vehicle charging stations.

The $200 million is a win for truckers, but it’s also just a start. The money is good just for one year, and it will take more than $200 million to tackle the shortage. OOIDA will continue to advocate for the passage of the Truck Parking Safety Improvement Act, which would dedicate $755 million toward truck parking.

English-proficiency enforcement for truck drivers

Although it was a spending bill, the package included a provision that cements Trump’s orders on English proficiency for truckers.

On April 28, 2025, Trump issued an executive order to enforce existing federal rules that require commercial vehicle drivers to “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.”

The following month, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced in Austin, Texas, that the U.S. Department of Transportation would begin enforcing English-proficiency regulations and take violators out of service.

OOIDA President Todd Spencer, who attended the May 2025 event in Austin, applauded efforts to ensure that all truck drivers are capable of performing their jobs safely, including having a basic level of English proficiency.

The provision in the spending package codifies Trump’s order into law, which prevents a future president from changing course. LL