October 16, 2025

6000 truck driver pulled off the road for English language deficiencies

Washington Post - Between June 1 and Monday, about 6,000 truckers were pulled off the road for English-language proficiency violations, according to a Washington Post analysis of Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration data.

On Wednesday, the Transportation Department announced it would withhold more than $40 million in funding to California, accusing the state of failing to comply with the new English-proficiency requirement.

“California is the only state in the nation that refuses to ensure big rig drivers can read our road signs and communicate with law enforcement,” Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said in a statement...

But analysts say there is no data showing a correlation between English-proficiency and accidents involving commercial truck drivers. And industry leaders are concerned about a potential worker shortage if too many drivers are pulled from the roads. Some advocates worry that Latino drivers, who make up 15.3 percent of the industry, will be unfairly targeted by officers administering the tests and say they want more details about how and when they will be tested.

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