The truck drivers’ trade group Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) is applauding the Trump Administration’s latest efforts to enforce an executive order requiring truck drivers to be able to read and write English while hauling loads on U.S. roads.
That support comes as U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy today threatened to withhold federal funding provided by the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP) from the states of California, Washington, and New Mexico unless they adopt and enforce English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirements for commercial motor vehicle drivers within 30 days.
The rule comes from an April order by President Trump demanding stricter interpretation of an existing law requiring that truckers meet certain standards for English language use, or else pull the truck over and immediately stop driving the vehicle. Before that executive order, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) had relaxed its enforcement of the rule by allowing drivers to demonstrate English proficiency by using interpreters, cue cards, or phone apps.
Since the executive order stipulates the strict punishment of drivers losing their commercial drivers licenses (CDLs), some transportation providers have warned that its enforcement could lead to “considerable friction” in U.S.-Mexico cross-border logistics, such as delivery delays and price increases.
Despite those concerns, OOIDA President Todd Spencer backed Trump’s pressure on the three statesPresident Todd Spencer backed Trump’s pressure on the three states. “OOIDA strongly supports Secretary Duffy’s action to enforce long-standing English proficiency requirements for commercial drivers. Basic English skills are critical for safely operating a commercial motor vehicle—reading road signs, following emergency instructions, and communicating with law enforcement are not optional,” Spencer said in a statement. “We join USDOT in calling on California, New Mexico, Washington, and all other states to enforce English Language Proficiency requirements as an out-of-service violation. This is common sense and it protects everyone on the road.”
OOIDA also backed another Trump Administration policy that tightened rules on truck drivers, cheering U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s move this week to pause all issuance of worker visas for commercial truck drivers. “OOIDA applauds the Administration for seeing through the myth of a truck driver shortage and continuing efforts to restore commonsense safety standards on our nation’s highways,” Spencer said. “Pausing visas for commercial truck drivers will help ensure only qualified individuals get licensed. Additionally, there is unlikely to be any negative effect on the supply chain, as the trucking industry continues to face overcapacity. The misuse of visa programs along with the rise of non-domiciled CDL holders in recent years has fueled a flood of drivers into our country who struggle to operate safely in full compliance with regulations.”
