President Donald Trump signed an executive order last week that calls for stronger enforcement of English language requirements for commercial motor vehicle drivers.
The April 28 order calls for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to:
- Revise its commercial driver qualification standards
- Review non-domiciled CDLs for irregularities
- Improve DOT’s driving credential verification
Three days after the order, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance added English language proficiency to its out-of-service criteria. The move by the nonprofit directs inspectors to prohibit drivers who cannot “speak the English language sufficiently” from operating a commercial motor vehicle. Since 2014, CVSA has directed inspectors not to place drivers out of service exclusively for their English proficiency.
Trump’s order came one month after ATA officially voiced support for a crackdown on the illegal use of foreign truck drivers.