Response from the commercial trucking industry has been overwhelmingly grateful after President Donald Trump on Monday signed a sweeping executive order aimed at reinstating English language proficiency requirements for commercial drivers. Trump also criticized how states issue commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) to foreign citizens, and easing regulatory burdens on American truckers.
The executive order, titled “Enforcing Commonsense Rules of The Road For America’s Truck Driver,” directs multiple federal agencies to reassert English as a foundational requirement for commercial driving safety in the United States.
“English is a non-negotiable safety requirement for professional drivers,” the order states. Drivers, it continues, “should be able to read and understand traffic signs, communicate with traffic safety officers, border patrol, agricultural checkpoints, and cargo weight-limit station personnel, and provide and receive feedback and directions in English.”
A key provision of the order mandates the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to rescind a 2016 guidance that had relaxed enforcement of English language standards, specifically under federal regulation 49 CFR 391.11(b)(2). That change had followed the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s decision to remove English-language violations from its list of criteria that could place drivers out of service.
The new order calls on the FMCSA to reverse course by restoring the out-of-service designation for such violations, rescinding the 2016 guidance within 60 days, and issuing updated inspection protocols to enforce the requirement.
It also directs the Department of Transportation to investigate the issuance of CDLs to non-domiciled foreign citizens for “any unusual patterns or numbers or other irregularities” and to enhance detection of fraudulent CDL credentials. Additionally, it orders a review of administrative and regulatory procedures to “improve the working conditions of America’s truck drivers,” with action required within the next two months.
“Federal law is clear, a driver who cannot sufficiently read or speak English — our native language — and understand road signs is unqualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle in America,” said Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in a press release. Duffy echoed the executive order’s language, referring to the changes as a return to “common sense.”
The DOT noted that the FMCSA has documented multiple fatal crashes involving drivers unable to comprehend English, reinforcing the safety rationale behind the new enforcement push. “FMCSA has documented cases of drivers whose inability to read our signs and speak our language contributed to fatal accidents,” the release said, listing several such incidents.
The timing of the executive order follows a wave of concerns raised at the Mid-America Trucking Show, where FMCSA officials were frequently asked about English language standards and the role of foreign drivers in the U.S. trucking industry. FMCSA leadership described the topic as one of several “live issues” under discussion.
The executive order mandates that English proficiency violations will once again trigger out-of-service penalties. Prior to the 2016 policy change, FMCSA data frequently recorded over 80,000 such violations annually. However, that number has plummeted in recent years, with only 7,800 to 10,000 violations logged between 2021 and 2024—none of which triggered out-of-service consequences.
The measure quickly drew support from industry advocates, reports Overdrive Online.
OOIDA President Todd Spencer praised the move, saying his organization “strongly supports President Trump’s decision to resume enforcement of English proficiency requirements for commercial drivers.”
“Basic English skills are essential for reading critical road signs, understanding emergency instructions, and interacting with law enforcement,” Spencer said. “Road signs save lives — but only when they’re understood.” He called the order a “welcome step toward restoring a common-sense safety standard.”
Shannon Everett, co-founder of American Truckers United, which had petitioned FMCSA to reinstate the rule, also welcomed the order. “This will be a huge step forward in protecting our roadways,” Everett said.
