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USA: Over 3,000 Truck Drivers Removed From U.S. Roads for English Proficiency Violations

  • Francis Tremblay
  • Sep 17
  • 1 min read
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Source: FMCSA


Washington, September 2025 — More than 3,000 commercial vehicle drivers have been placed out-of-service since late June for failing to meet federal English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirements, according to new data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).


Regional breakdown:

• Eastern: 386

• Midwest: 615

• Southern: 878

• Western: 1,141


The surge has been significant: in mid-August, the FMCSA database showed only 1,212 cases.


On June 25, 2025, a White House Executive Order reinstated non-compliance with federal English-language requirements as an out-of-service violation. This reversed a 2016 FMCSA memo that had instructed law enforcement not to remove drivers from service solely for ELP violations.


Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed that about 1,500 truck drivers had already been taken off the road by the end of June. The number has since more than doubled.

 
 
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