The Trump Administration has announced that it will resume enforcing English language proficiency rules for commercial truckers. Executive Order 14286, issued April 28, gave the Transportation Department’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration 60 days to issue new guidance. The new guidance, announced May 20, calls for commercial motor vehicle drivers who fail to meet FMCSA’s longstanding English-language proficiency requirements to be taken out-of-service.
The E.O. stated that commercial truck drivers should be able to read and understand traffic signs and communicate with traffic safety and border patrol officers and personnel at agricultural checkpoints and cargo weight-limit stations. Roadway safety has declined since 2016 when the Obama Administration stopped enforcing the regulation [49 CFR § 391.11(b)(2)], President Trump said in the order.
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