Commercial truck drivers who cannot speak English now face stricter enforcement under new measures announced by the Trump administration.
The White House said the policy forms part of a broader plan to strengthen highway safety while opening more opportunities for American military veterans to join the trucking workforce.
The administration said federal agencies have stepped up enforcement of a long-standing requirement that commercial drivers must be able to read and speak English well enough to understand road signs, respond to safety instructions and communicate with law enforcement officers during inspections and emergencies.
Officials said drivers who fail to meet the language requirement may be placed out of service, describing the move as one aimed at reducing communication failures that could pose risks on the nation’s highways.
Alongside the language policy, the administration unveiled the “Freedom Haulers” initiative, a programme designed to recruit former members of the U.S. Armed Forces into the commercial trucking industry.
The administration also revised eligibility for non-domiciled Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs), limiting access mainly to holders of H-2A, H-2B and E-2 visas. Federal officials said the change is expected to affect many foreign drivers who previously qualified under other immigration categories.
Government figures estimate there are nearly 200,000 non-domiciled CDL holders across the United States. The administration said many of those licences will no longer qualify for renewal unless the drivers meet the new eligibility rules.
Federal authorities also directed states to revoke licences they believe were issued outside the updated federal requirements. Administration officials said more than 30,000 foreign-issued commercial licences have already been cancelled through the enforcement exercise.
To attract more Americans into the industry, the administration expanded programmes that allow military veterans to obtain commercial driver’s licences through an accelerated process. Veterans with qualifying military driving experience may be allowed to bypass the CDL road skills test, while the application period for expedited licensing has also been extended.
The White House said the changes are intended to replace foreign drivers who lose eligibility with qualified American veterans, arguing that the measures will improve road safety and strengthen the domestic trucking workforce.
While administration officials have also pointed to lower traffic fatalities, independent data reviewed so far has not confirmed the claim that road deaths are at a historic low.