DOT Proposes Permanent English Proficiency Rule for Commercial Truckers

The proposal, announced in a post on X, would embed the English-language requirement into federal regulations so future administrations cannot easily reverse it. Duffy said the move is necessary to ensure highway safety, as drivers must read road signs and communicate with law enforcement and emergency personnel.

Federal law already mandates that commercial drivers read and speak English well enough to interact with the public, understand traffic signs, respond to official inquiries, and complete required reports. The Department of Transportation began enforcing this more aggressively in 2025, reversing a 2016 policy that had barred inspectors from placing drivers out of service solely for English-proficiency violations.

Duffy said more than 26,000 drivers have been removed from the road for failing to demonstrate English proficiency. The enforcement campaign is part of a broader crackdown on driver qualifications, which has also included canceling roughly 30,000 commercial licenses issued illegally and restricting non-domiciled commercial learner's permits and licenses to foreign workers with certain employment-based visas.

The proposal is likely to affect immigrant truck drivers, who make up a significant share of the U.S. trucking workforce. Immigrant advocacy groups have criticized recent federal actions and filed legal challenges, but the administration maintains the rules focus on qualifications and public safety, not nationality.

If finalized, the rule would make the English-language requirement a permanent part of federal trucking policy, rather than an enforcement stance that could change with a new administration.