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The Trump administration is taking decisive steps to ensure that truck drivers in the United States possess a sufficient command of the English language to read road signs and effectively communicate with law enforcement officers. This move is part of a broader initiative to enhance road safety and compliance with federal regulations.
In a statement released on Friday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy outlined a new requirement: all commercial driver’s license (CDL) applicants must complete their tests in English. This measure aims to standardize language proficiency across the trucking industry, ensuring that drivers can navigate the country’s roads safely and respond adequately in emergency situations.
This policy shift follows two tragic accidents in Indiana, both of which involved individuals allegedly in the United States without legal authorization. These incidents have heightened concerns about the potential risks posed by drivers who may not fully understand English, prompting the administration to act swiftly.
In addition to these new testing requirements, the Trump administration has been actively enforcing compliance among states. Recently, it issued a stern warning to Illinois, threatening to suspend federal funding over allegations that the state has been improperly granting CDLs. This pressure reflects a rigorous approach to upholding federal standards and ensuring that all drivers meet the necessary qualifications.
The announcement comes on the heels of two fatal Indiana crashes allegedly involving people in the country illegally.
The Trump administration has been aggressively pursuing the campaign, recently threatening to withhold funding for Illinois, saying the state has illegally issued CDLs.
A letter to the state cited more than a dozen cases of drivers from countries including Ukraine, Russia and Venezuela being given a CDL after their lawful presence in the U.S. expired or where Illinois didn’t verify the drivers were here legally.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said the state’s policies are in compliance with federal law.
While commercial drivers are required to demonstrate proficiency with the English language, many states allow them to take the test for their CDL in other languages.
Duffy said states have also hired companies to administer the tests, and those companies have not complied with federal standards.
“And the third-party tester is participating in the scam because they are not adequately testing the people who went through a sham school,” Duffy said.
Earlier this week, the Transportation Department said 557 driving schools should close because they failed to meet basic safety standards. And the department has been aggressively going after states that handed out commercial driver’s licenses to immigrants who shouldn’t have qualified for them ever since a fatal crash in August.
A truck driver, who Duffy says wasn’t authorized to be in the U.S., made an illegal U-turn and caused a crash in Florida that killed three people.
Two recent fatal crashes in Indiana have also been attributed to people in the country illegally.
In one, police said Bekzhan Beishekeev, 30, failed to stop for another slowed semi, causing a crash that killed three people.
Beishekeev was handed over to the Department of Homeland Security after being arrested.
In another case, a semi ran a red light and hit a Chevy truck, killing one person.
In a statement to , the DHS said the truck driver was in the U.S. illegally.
“This tragedy comes less than two weeks after another illegal alien driving a semi-truck killed four innocent people in Indiana. It is incredibly dangerous for illegal aliens, who often don’t know our traffic laws or even English, to be operating semi-trucks on America’s roads. These tragedies are 100% preventable and we pray for the family and victim,” a statement from DHS assistant secretary Tricia McLaughlin read in part.
’s Brooke Shafer and The Associated Press contributed to this report.