Government

Congress, states join USDOT in targeting non-English-speaking truckers

By William B. Cassidy

Federal lawmakers are joining a growing campaign to get US truck drivers who can’ t communicate in English or read road signs off the road, introducing a bill in the US House of Representatives on May 29 that would make that goal the law.

That may help get some unqualified truck drivers off the road, but trucking executives don’ t believe a crackdown on truck drivers who can’ t speak or read English will significantly affect truck capacity, which is still oversupplied.

The introduction of“ Connor’ s Law” by Rep. Dave Taylor, R-Ohio, and Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., follows an order from Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy that makes violation of the English-language proficiency( ELP) requirement an outof-service violation.

An English-language requirement for truck drivers has been part of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations( FMCSR) since 1937, but enforcement has varied.

There’ s no question these efforts restore teeth to enforcement of the ELP requirement. There is a question as to how much of an impact that will have on trucking or on highway safety.

For one, there’ s no census or other hard source of data on how many US truck drivers don’ t meet the ELP requirement or how that correlates with road accidents.

Sec. Duffy believes strict enforcement of the ELP requirement will help force“ bad actors” out of a business he compared to the“ Wild West.”

“ It’ s ridiculous to think that we’ ll start enforcing this and it will have an impact on truck capacity.”

That may reduce the risk of deadly accidents such as the one that killed the bill’ s namesake, Connor Dzion, in 2017, but those who expect an exodus of unqualified drivers that would tighten capacity and reset pricing may be expecting too much.

Many trucking executives believe truckers without English-language skills are“ a small cohort” in a large driver pool.

Federal trucking regulations have required English proficiency since 1937, but enforcement has varied widely. Shutterstock. com

“ It’ s ridiculous to think that we’ ll start enforcing this and it will have an impact on truck capacity,” said a trucking executive who asked not to be named.

Cracking down

Under new US Department of Transportation guidelines, truck drivers who cannot communicate with law enforcement will be placed out of service, meaning they will not be permitted to drive. The same holds true for those that can’ t read US road signs.

The new enforcement guidelines take effect June 25. The passage of Connor’ s Law would mean that guidance could only be changed by congressional action.

Connor’ s Law also follows executive orders by President Donald Trump making English the official language of the US and ordering enforcement of truck driver ELP requirements. Similar legislation is moving through state legislatures, including bills with stiff penalties.

Oklahoma Gov. Rick Stitt on May 28 signed a bill into law that would impose a $ 3,000 fine on truck drivers that can’ t meet US ELP requirements and jail time for repeat offenders. A similar law was enacted in Arkansas in April with fines of up to $ 1,000.

Several trucking groups have said they support Connor’ s Law, including the Small Business in Trucking Coalition( SBTC), the Owner-Operator Independent Driver’ s Association( OOIDA) and the American Trucking Associations( ATA), among others.

email: bill. cassidy @ spglobal. com

28 Journal of Commerce | July 7, 2025 www. joc. com