Trucks, Parts, Service sister publication Overdrive has released the results of a reader poll regarding President Donald J. Trump's May executive order that returns English language proficiency (ELP) to out-of-service criteria.
Overwhelmingly, truckers believe the order is a good move.
Among Overdrive's audience, 75% believe truck drivers should not only be able read English road signs but also be proficient speaking it when out of the roadway. Another 19% believe drivers who can simply read and understand road signs and law enforcement should be allowed to drive; another 5% believe proficiency just at reading signs is acceptable.
Only 1% of Overdrive readers believe English proficiency should not be a prerequisite to drive.
President Trump's executive order was written with this consensus in mind. The "Enforcing Commonsense Rules of The Road For America’s Truck Driver" action has three primary goals:
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- Instructing the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to restore violations of the English language proficiency requirement, codified in 49 CFR 391.11(b)(2), to the out of service (OOS) violation category and issue new guidance within 60 days on revised inspection procedures necessary for enforcement.
- Review state issuance of non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) to foreign citizens for “any unusual patterns or numbers or other irregularities” and also “improve effectiveness” in spotting fake commercial driver credentials.
- Carrying out “additional administrative, regulatory, or enforcement actions to improve the working conditions of America’s truck drivers” by easing regulatory burdens, also directed to happen within 60 days.
Readers also were fairly vocal about why they held their opinions.
One commenter noted ELP is essential because drivers are driving "80,000-lb., missiles on our highways."
Another added, "It would be foolish for me to drive a big rig in a country where I couldn’t read warning signs or communicate with law enforcement! The push to allow non-English proficiency drivers here is simply out of greed by those with political influence who want cheap labor!"
Said a third, "I don't care if you are a rainbow unicorn or an Elvis impersonator from the planet Mars, if you are a professional and you can do the job safely, go for it. But that includes the whole job, which includes communicating sufficiently and reading sufficiently, something even 'Bubba Bo trucker' has a problem with at times, which by the way that should also come with equal consequences for everyone."
The latter sentiment was shared by other readers too.
"The entire ELP enforcement effort must be fair, unbiased, consistent and able to determine a minimum level of ELP required," another reader said.
FMCSA has been active in this area since the executive order was released, issuing guidance on May 20 for how inspectors are expected to enforce the regulations.
In an internal document, FMCSA wrote personnel should initiate all roadside inspections in English and offered detailed instruction for how inspectors should alter their communication with a driver if it appears their ELP is limited.
Beyond the driver population, the ELP rule also has been well received by industry trade groups.
The American Trucking Associations and OOIDA both strong favorably of the action, with OOIDA President Todd Spender stating, "Basic English skills are essential for reading critical road signs, understanding emergency instructions and interacting with law enforcement. Road signs save lives — but only when they’re understood."
Do you support the Trump administration's moves to boost enforcement of English proficiency and review non-domiciled CDL issuance? The brief four-question survey below offers a way to weigh in directly on the issues to help inform ongoing reporting.
