In a move that puts American safety and sovereignty first, former President Donald Trump’s Transportation Secretary, Sean Duffy, officially reinstated enforcement of a long-ignored law requiring commercial truck drivers to speak English. The announcement came Tuesday, May 20, during Duffy’s visit to Austin, Texas—an event signaling a powerful return to common sense and rule of law.
While the requirement that truckers be able to read and speak English has existed for years, it was effectively gutted under the Obama administration in 2016, when inspectors were quietly told to stop enforcing it. The result? A surge in truckers hitting America’s roads without the ability to read traffic signs, follow safety instructions, or communicate with law enforcement and emergency officials.
That dangerous and politically motivated loophole has now been slammed shut.
Backed by President Trump’s April 28 executive order, Secretary Duffy ordered the Department of Transportation to resume enforcing the English language proficiency (ELP) requirement for all commercial drivers operating on U.S. roads.
“For too long, misguided policies have prioritized political correctness over the safety of the American people,” Duffy said in Austin. “That ends now. The road belongs to every law-abiding citizen, and ensuring truckers can understand stop signs, safety warnings, and emergency instructions isn’t ‘controversial’—it’s essential.”
The Biden administration turned a blind eye to this safety risk, favoring open borders over open eyes. Now, under Trump’s America-first leadership, Duffy and the DOT are putting the brakes on that recklessness.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the Trump order as pure common sense.
“There’s a lot of communication problems between truckers and federal or local officials, which obviously poses a serious public safety risk,” she said. “English is the language of opportunity—and it’s also the language of safety. Drivers who can’t read a stop sign shouldn’t be operating an 80,000-pound big rig.”
The Department of Transportation laid out the rationale in a press release, noting that the regulation had been buried by the Obama administration despite its crucial role in protecting drivers and families across America.
“FMCSA regulations provide that a driver unable to sufficiently read or speak English or understand highway traffic signs and signals is not qualified to operate a commercial motor vehicle,” the release stated. “The failure to adequately enforce driver qualification standards poses serious safety concerns and increases the likelihood of a crash.”
Effective June 25, 2025, English language violations will once again be grounds for removing drivers from service. The DOT also thanked the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance for its swift cooperation in restoring the rule and ensuring consistent, nationwide enforcement.
Simply put, this move protects American lives, restores the rule of law, and prioritizes citizen safety over political correctness. Once again, it’s President Trump and his team stepping up with action—not empty rhetoric—to secure America’s roads and defend its people.
