Two semi-truck drivers ticketed in DeKalb County, AL, for not speaking English are among the first in the nation to receive the citation.
The English language proficiency requirement has been law since 1937 but an Obama administration order eliminated most enforcement of the statute.
Representative Harriet Hageman (Wyo.) asked President Trump to rescind the memo citing a rise in fatal truck accidents since it was issued. Truck and bus fatalities are up almost 4% since 2021. There were nearly 6,000 fatal trucking accidents in 2022 alone.
“I think it would be a shock to a lot of people. Drivers are out here on the road, they’re operating 80,000 pounds, and it’s super dangerous,” said Jose Reyes, a bilingual trucker that has had to help translate for other drivers. “They can’t communicate, and they can’t read road signs; that’s where the safety part of it comes in.”
Federal investigations indicate 3.8% of Commercial Driver’s License holders have limited English proficiency. There were over 15,000 language-related violations over the past two years in Texas alone.
Mark Colson, President and CEO of the Alabama Trucking Association issued a statement supporting the police and reiterating safety concerns for drivers who cannot communicate.
Drivers ticketed for language related violations are removed from the road.
Critics say enforcement will only lead to more shortages in the trucking industry. The industry is currently short an estimated 24,000 drivers.
