Another day, another outlandish Donald Trump executive order. This time, he is targeting truck drivers who may speak languages other than English.
On Monday, April 28th, Trump signed a directive mandating that commercial truck drivers in the U.S. be proficient in English. The order, framed as “common sense,” aims to improve safety standards by ensuring that drivers can communicate effectively with law enforcement and understand road signs. The mandate is set to take effect in 60 days.
The order explains, “They should be able to read and understand traffic signs, communicate with traffic safety, border patrol, agricultural checkpoints, and cargo weight-limit station officers,” adding, “Drivers need to provide feedback to their employers and customers and receive related directions in English. This is common sense.”
Trump stated, “My Administration will enforce the law to protect the safety of American truckers, drivers, passengers, and others, including by upholding the safety enforcement regulations that ensure that anyone behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle is properly qualified and proficient in our national language, English.”
The order reverses a 2016 Obama-era policy, which eased English proficiency enforcement for truck drivers. Todd Peters of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association supported the move, emphasizing that “basic English skills are essential for reading critical road signs, understanding emergency instructions, and interacting with law enforcement.”
Despite already stringent testing requirements in English, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt highlighted, “There’s a lot of communication problems between truckers on the road with federal officials… which obviously is a public safety risk.”
There are approximately 3.6 million truck drivers in the United States. This number includes both employee truck drivers and self-employed truck drivers. Approximately 17.9% of professional truck drivers in the U.S. are Hispanic or Latino, which makes Trump’s latest order an apparent slight at them amid his ongoing immigration crackdowns.
