The brand new rule would require all business driver’s license (CDL) exams to be administered in English. (Credit score: Pool)
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Friday introduced sweeping adjustments to business trucking laws, together with a brand new requirement that each one business driver’s license (CDL) exams be administered solely in English.
Talking on the Division of Transportation (DOT) headquarters in Washington, D.C., Duffy and Federal Motor Service Security Administrator Derek Barrs mentioned the transfer is geared toward strengthening oversight and making certain drivers can learn highway indicators and talk with regulation enforcement.
“What we’re doing is implementing a rule that may say there’s one language in which you’ll be able to take your take a look at — It is English solely,” Duffy mentioned. “You’re taking the take a look at in English. You may’t communicate English, you possibly can’t learn English — You are not going to do properly on the take a look at.”
Duffy famous that a number of states, together with California, presently provide CDL exams in a number of languages.
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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy speaks on the Division of Transportation headquarters, Friday, in Washington, D.C., the place he introduced sweeping adjustments to CDL testing nationwide. (Pool)
“Within the state of California, you possibly can take the motive force’s take a look at, the abilities take a look at and the proficiency take a look at — you possibly can take it in 20 totally different languages,” he mentioned.
Along with the English-only testing requirement, Duffy mentioned the DOT will ask states to disqualify drivers who fail to fulfill federal English proficiency requirements.
“What we will do sooner or later is ask states to disqualify your license,” Duffy mentioned.
Duffy additionally criticized what he described as lax oversight below the Biden administration, accusing former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg of not imposing rigorous requirements for certifying business driving faculties.
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Vehicles at a facility in Bakersfield, Calif. (Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Occasions by way of Getty Photos / Getty Photos)
Duffy alleged that some business driving faculties — which he known as “CDL mills” — lacked correct curriculum or coaching. The DOT has shut down 7,000 of those faculties, in response to Duffy.
“We should always count on that we must be secure, and that those that drive these 80,000-pound massive rigs that they are well-trained, they’re properly certified and they will be secure,” Duffy mentioned.
Federal officers lately performed greater than 8,200 inspections below Operation SafeDRIVE, taking 704 drivers out of service. About 500 have been cited for failing to fulfill English proficiency requirements.
The announcement follows a number of high-profile crashes involving drivers who have been within the nation illegally.
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A business driver’s license of Singh Sukhdeep, an unlawful immigrant from India, accused of killing an Indiana man in a February 2026 crash. (Obtained by Fox Information / Fox Information)
Earlier this month, Bekzhan Beishekeev, a truck driver from Kazakhstan who entered the U.S. in 2023 utilizing the CBP One app, allegedly killed 4 individuals in a crash in Indiana. He was issued a CDL in Pennsylvania.
In one other case final August, Harjinder Singh, who was issued a CDL in California, allegedly made an unlawful U-turn, jackknifed his truck and brought on a crash that killed three individuals. He was charged with three counts of vehicular murder.
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The DOT didn’t instantly reply to FOX Enterprise’ request for remark.
Fox Information Digital’s Charles Creitz, Peter D’Abrosca, Invoice Melugin and Garrett Tenney contributed to this report.
