Thousands of commercial truck drivers have been pulled off the road this year because of English language proficiency rules.
By the numbers: Over 7,000 drivers were removed from service for not meeting federal requirements to understand and speak English, as of October 2025. These numbers come straight from official FMCSA inspection data according to FMCSA records.
- Federal rules say truck drivers must be able to talk with the public, read highway signs, answer law enforcement questions, and fill out paperwork — all in English.
- This crackdown started after a White House order in June 2025 made English proficiency an official reason for putting drivers out-of-service again.
What's behind it: A deadly crash in Florida in August 2025 put new focus on the English rule, especially after some said the trucker's language skills were lacking.
- The government said the old rule from 2016, which let some drivers get by without proper English, was dropped this summer.
- Now, state officers are checking more closely during inspections and acting on any violations.
Since July, the number of drivers put out-of-service for not knowing enough English has climbed rapidly, with nearly 1,500 removals reported just a few months ago and thousands more since then.
Out-of-service numbers have been reported through FMCSA roadside inspection data, which is updated regularly with the latest enforcement actions.