Enforcing English Proficiency in Trucking
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and state agencies will begin enforcing stricter English-language proficiency standards for commercial drivers operating in the U.S. Under the updated enforcement rules, drivers who cannot adequately speak and understand English may face out-of-service violations on the spot.
The changes follow a new enforcement policy distributed by the FMCSA on May 20, which mandates that all roadside inspections begin in English. If the inspecting officer suspects a driver lacks sufficient proficiency, they may initiate a two-step assessment. Failing the initial test can result in a citation, while failure of both tests may soon lead to being placed out of service, pending the full integration of the new criteria into the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria.
When Does This Take Effect?
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) confirmed in a May 1 press release that it will add English-language non-compliance as a cause for out-of-service action starting June 25, 2025. This shift comes as part of broader federal directives following an executive order by President Donald Trump, which urged agencies to more rigorously enforce English-language requirements in industries like trucking.
According to the CVSA, a driver may be placed out of service if they "cannot read and speak the English language sufficiently to communicate with the safety official to respond to official inquiries and directions in accordance with FMCSA enforcement guidance."
FMCSA's internal guidance lays out a two-step assessment process. First, the officer will conduct an interview entirely in English, asking questions about the driver's route, duties, and vehicle details. Drivers may not use translation tools or apps during this test. If they pass, the second step involves understanding and interpreting highway signage. Though the precise contents of the tests are confidential, the FMCSA released a summary of expectations to motor carriers on May 22nd to help them prepare their drivers.
What's Being Done To Prepare?
Motor carriers are encouraged to ensure their drivers can discuss trip origins and destinations, hours of service, logbooks, shipping papers, and driver's license information-all in English. For the highway portion, drivers should be able to explain the meanings of standard and dynamic highway signs. Interestingly, while carriers may test sign knowledge in any language, the understanding must be demonstrable and clear to the evaluator.
Though English proficiency has technically been a requirement for commercial drivers in the U.S. for decades, enforcement has been inconsistent. The CVSA removed English proficiency from its out-of-service criteria in 2015, with FMCSA following suit in 2016. That policy was officially reversed in May, reinstating English proficiency as a compliance priority.
Despite its longstanding presence in regulations, the rule has rarely resulted in serious consequences. In 2014, over 100,000 violations were issued for English deficiencies, but only about 4,000 resulted in out-of-service actions.
The latest enforcement changes follow broader political moves, including the Trump administration's declaration of English as the official language of the United States and industry pressure led by the American Trucking Associations for tighter language standards. The trucking sector should now expect closer scrutiny and be prepared to ensure drivers meet the renewed standards.