Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has threatened to withhold millions in federal highway funding from states if they don’t require commercial truck drivers to know English before obtaining licenses.
“This is not just us saying we have some obscure rule, this is about keeping people safe on the road — your families, your loved ones, your kids,” Duffy told reporters at a news conference Tuesday. “We need to make sure that those driving big-rigs and semis can understand the signs and roadways.”
“They can’t do that, that creates a significant issue for the public,” he added.
Duffy said he’s giving states 30 days to come up with “corrective plans” in cooperation with the Department of Transportation (DOT) or he will pull funding provided to them under the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program. He specifically highlighted California, New Mexico and Washington State as ones that do not require English proficiency for commercial licenses.
“We just want to keep drivers safe, not just in red states, Americans drive in all states,” Duffy said. “California, Washington and New Mexico have Americans that drive in those states, and they deserve to stay safe in those states like in every other state.”
The Hill has reached out to transportation officials in those states for comment on the Trump administration’s ultimatums.
President Trump signed an executive order in April that requires all commercial truck drivers operating in the U.S. to be proficient in English, after he designated English as the country’s official language in a separate order a month earlier. The order allows DOT to enforce the requirement by withholding federal funds.
The move to target jurisdictions that have not complied comes after three people were killed in a crash on a Florida highway involving a commercial truck. Harjinder Singh, the California-licensed truck driver involved and seen on viral videos of the crash and in its aftermath, faces vehicular manslaughter charges after making an illegal U-turn that caused the accident. According to authorities, India-native Singh was not authorized to be in the U.S. at the time of the incident.
The Trump administration paused issuance of worker visas for foreign truck drivers after the Florida case drew national interest.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), a trade group that represents truck drivers, has backed the administration’s efforts to curb the number of foreign drivers and the new English language requirements.
“Basic English skills are critical for safely operating a commercial motor vehicle—reading road signs, following emergency instructions, and communicating with law enforcement are not optional,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer said in a statement. “The fatal crash in Florida this month tragically illustrates what’s at stake.”
Spencer argued that without English proficiency, drivers are less likely to understand posted cautions and safety restrictions.
“Road signs save lives, but only when they’re understood,” he said. “Operating an 80,000-pound vehicle without being able to read road signs isn’t just dangerous, it’s completely unacceptable.”
