Trump Admin Crackdown Exposes Dangerous Lack of English Proficiency Among Truckers

A new crackdown by the Trump administration on illegal immigration in the trucking industry has exposed a dangerous lack of English proficiency among a significant number of truck drivers.

On August 4, the Trump administration announced the results of “Operation Highway Shield,” which uncovered 36 English-language proficiency violations among truck drivers over the course of just three days.

This indicates that there could potentially be thousands of other truck drivers on our roads who lack proficiency in English.

English proficiency requirements for truck drivers, especially those operating heavy tractor-trailers, has been a key focus of ProEnglish over the past year, and the results of this operation speak to the severity of the problem.

In a recent development, the Trump administration expanded the role of Department of Homeland Security agents, who will begin investigating commercial driver’s license (CDL) schools.

In previous writeups, we’ve brought attention to the practice of “CDL mills,” where trucking schools catering to speakers of various foreign languages churn out licenses for unqualified drivers who cannot speak English, many of whom are also in the country illegally.

Going after CDL mills will go a long way toward reducing the number of truck drivers who cannot speak English and who pose a serious safety risk to others on the road.

We’ve been closely following these developments and will continue to advocate at the federal and state levels for additional laws to ensure that all drivers on our roads can speak and understand English.

At ProEnglish, we’ve enthusiastically supported H.R. 5688, also known as Dalilah’s Law, a federal bill that would prohibit non-citizens from obtaining CDLs. The bill also includes a key provision from H.R. 6233, “Conor’s Law,” requiring all CDL holders to demonstrate English proficiency.

As we’ve repeatedly said, command of the English language should be non-negotiable for every driver on our roads. Congress must act and pass Dalilah’s Law. The safety of our roads and everyone who travels them depends on it.