The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has proposed codifying English-language proficiency (ELP) enforcement for commercial truck drivers, a move the agency estimates could put 9,000 drivers out of service each year. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the notice of proposed rulemaking to solidify the ELP mandate revived last year under the Trump administration. The mandate reversed an Obama-era directive in 2016 stating that FMCSA no longer had to automatically place a driver out of service (OOS) for being unable to read English-language highway signs or speak the language.
Duffy's office declared Aug. 7 that FMCSA intends to solidify the ELP guideline into a codified rule to prevent it from being weakened by future administrations.
DOT stated that the 2016 policy prohibited roadside inspectors from placing drivers out of service solely for failing English-proficiency screening while issuing minor administrative citations that resulted in unqualified drivers remaining behind the wheel.
"Federal law is clear, drivers who can't read or speak English — our national language — or understand road signs are unqualified to operate 80,000-pound big rigs on America's highways," Duffy said. "By making these common-sense English-proficiency standards permanent, we are closing a dangerous loophole that has cost Americans their lives."
ELP standards have been on the books since 1937 for commercial drivers.