Two semi-truck drivers in DeKalb County, Alabama, are among the first in the country to be cited for not speaking English — a requirement that’s been on the books since 1937 but was largely ignored after an Obama-era directive gutted enforcement.
The White House says the English-language rule is about safety, not politics. Representative Harriet Hageman (R-WY) is calling on President Trump to reverse the Obama memo, pointing to a nearly 4% jump in fatal truck and bus accidents since 2021, including almost 6,000 fatal trucking crashes in 2022.
“This is about keeping the roads safe,” said bilingual trucker Jose Reyes, who says he’s had to help translate for other drivers. “They can’t communicate, and they can’t read road signs; that’s where the safety part of it comes in.”
Federal investigators found 3.8% of Commercial Driver’s License holders have limited English skills, with Texas logging over 15,000 language-related violations in the past two years alone. Alabama Trucking Association President Mark Colson backed law enforcement’s actions, stressing that drivers who can’t communicate are a risk on the road. Those cited are pulled off immediately.
Industry critics claim stricter enforcement will worsen the trucking shortage — now pegged at 24,000 drivers — but supporters say safety comes first.
