Truckers fear job loss as new English language rules take effect

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: AP

Updated 8:22 AM EDT, June 24, 2025


LINDEN, New Jersey (AP) — At a trucking school in New Jersey, students are maneuvering 18-wheelers around traffic cones. Other future drivers look under hoods to perform safety checks, narrating as they examine steering hoses for cracks and leaks.

An instructor glides between speaking Spanish and English as he teaches Manuel Castillo, a native Spanish speaker, how to inspect a school bus. They’re using a printed script of English phrases to practice what Castillo would say during a roadside inspection.

Brushing up on English has taken on new urgency for future and current truck drivers after President Donald Trump issued an executive order saying truckers who don’t read and speak the language proficiently would be considered unfit for service. A driver who can’t understand English will not drive a commercial vehicle in this country. Period,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said last month while announcing enforcement guidelines that take effect on Wednesday.

Updated U.S. Department of Transportation procedures call for enhanced inspections to determine if commercial motor vehicle operators can reply to questions and directions in English, as well as understand highway traffic signs and electronic message boards.

Read more: https://apnews.com/article/truck-drivers-english-language-required-92c733048e85c34b1822cc4403eaf262

[et tu]

1. bubba say 'wut'

this might hurt more drivers than the targeted ones.
but who needs multi-lingual when you can just do 'slingblade'

[ProudMNDemocrat]

2. Say goodbye to the Trucking Industry...

And say hello to HIGHER prices for EVERYTHING shipped by trucks.

There are Americans so illiterate as well when it comes to reading, understanding the English language, constructing sentences, etc.

[hueymahl]

4. Long term human operated trucks are going the way of buggy whip manufacturers

Robotrucks are the future.

[FredGarvin]

3. Makes sense

U.S. Department of Transportation procedures call for inspections to determine if commercial motor vehicle operators can reply to questions and directions in English, as well as understand highway traffic signs and electronic message boards.

Imagine an 18 wheeler carrying a 50,000lb load going 70mph in traffic and the driver cant interpret signs...

yikes

[ratchiweenie]

5. I agree. I think it's really important that they be able to understand all signage and interpret directions in English.

Trucks travel on interstate hiways that frequently have signs spanning all lanes that alert to traffic problems, closures, pile-ups, etc and direct automobiles to slow, stop ahead, change lanes, etc. Trucks are huge and carry huge loads. They are dangerous. I come from a family of truckers and I know how dangerous they can be.

[DENVERPOPS]

8. We have had TWO recent horrific accidents

here in Colorado that I can remember, where the Semi Driver could not read, write, or speak english..........One couldn't read the warning signs to truckers of steep grades ahead, to use lower gear, and how to use the runaway truck ramp. He had a run away truck as a result, slamming into a large group of cars stopped in rush hour traffic, at full speed..........It was Horrific..........

There was a Colorado company that had 50? semis in operation, with drivers that didn't have the required CDL licenses, and it was reported that most couldn't read english. Same thing, it wasn't brought to light until one of their drivers killed several innocent drivers because he couldn't read english warning signs....

[mwooldri]

6. It's not a "new rule".

It's been in place since Lord knows when that in order to have a valid commercial motor vehicle license, you needed to be fairly proficient in reading and speaking English.

North American signs are more "written out" e.g. the speed limit sign is literally that in words "Speed Limit XX". European signs are pictorial - that same speed limit sign is a circular sign, white background, red border and the number 30 in it. The European road system is set up for a more multilingual environment. The North American set up isn't set up that way. Canada though is a bit more pictoral in its signs (given its bilingual status) but it definitely helps to have a rudimentary knowledge of French when driving through Québec.

[BumRushDaShow]

7. The "enforcement" protocols (and frequency) are "new".