Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announces new licensing requirements, school closures, and eligibility restrictions aimed at tightening commercial driver oversight nationwide.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
The Trump administration has ordered that all commercial driver’s license (CDL) examinations be administered exclusively in English, a move federal officials say is designed to ensure truck drivers can read road signs and communicate effectively with law enforcement.
The policy shift was reported by The Epoch Times. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed the change in a public post, stating that the goal is to guarantee that commercial drivers possess sufficient English proficiency to safely operate on American highways. The announcement was shared on X here.
The new directive is part of a broader federal effort to modernize the CDL registration system, combat fraud, and strengthen driver safety enforcement. Florida has already implemented English-only testing standards.
“American families deserve safe roads and we are going to deliver them,” Duffy wrote.
In a separate post Friday, Duffy stated that under prior policies it had become easier for noncitizens to obtain CDLs than U.S. citizens. He wrote that during the Biden administration, illegal immigrants seeking commercial licenses were not subjected to background checks in the same manner as American applicants. The statement was published on X here. “Our new rule restricts eligibility and ensures ONLY qualified drivers can operate big rigs,” Duffy added.
Duffy also addressed concerns about outsourced testing practices, noting that several states rely on third-party companies to administer CDL exams. In a public appearance available here, he said some contractors have failed to uphold required testing standards.
The enforcement push builds on a May 2025 order signed by Duffy implementing updated guidance on English proficiency requirements for truck drivers. That order is detailed here. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations, available here, state that a driver who cannot read or speak English proficiently or understand traffic signs does not qualify to operate a commercial motor vehicle.
By December 2025, nearly 9,500 commercial truck drivers had been removed from service after failing English proficiency checks, according to the administration.
The Transportation Department also moved to address concerns involving commercial driver training programs. On Feb. 18, the department announced that more than 550 driving schools failed to meet basic safety standards and should be removed from operation. The announcement can be viewed here.
According to the department, those providers received notices of proposed removal from the national registry following more than 1,400 investigations. Details of the enforcement action are outlined here.
Investigators reported findings that included unqualified instructors, fabricated business addresses, improper training vehicles, and failure to provide instruction on hazardous materials handling. Some of the cited schools trained school bus drivers.
“For too long, the trucking industry has operated like the Wild, Wild West, where anything goes and nobody asks any questions,” Duffy said in a Feb. 18 statement. “The buck stops with me. Under President [Donald] Trump, my team is cracking down on every link in the trucking chain that has allowed this lawlessness to impact the safety of America’s roads. American families should have confidence that our school bus and truck drivers are following every letter of the law and that starts with receiving proper training before getting behind the wheel.”
On Feb. 11, the department finalized an additional rule limiting CDL eligibility for certain foreign nationals to holders of H-2A, H-2B and E-2 nonimmigrant visas who undergo expanded interagency review. The finalized rule is available here.
Federal officials have also targeted states that issued CDLs to individuals who did not meet qualification standards. The administration intensified scrutiny following a fatal August crash in Florida. Authorities said the truck driver, Harjinder Singh, allegedly entered the country illegally from Mexico in 2018, made an illegal U-turn and caused a crash that killed three people. Singh obtained licenses in California and Washington.
In October, Florida filed suit against California and Washington over their CDL practices.
The federal government has warned that states failing to enforce English-language requirements risk losing federal funding. The warning is detailed here. California ultimately had more than $40 million withheld, according to a department announcement available here.
At the time of the federal action, 19 states were permitting CDL applicants to take license examinations in languages other than English, despite federal requirements that drivers demonstrate English proficiency.
The new English-only testing mandate marks the latest step in the administration’s effort to tighten commercial trucking standards and increase oversight of driver qualification and training nationwide.
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