In a sweeping move to enhance highway safety, the Trump administration has placed more than 7,000 commercial truck drivers in the United States “out of service” for failing to meet English proficiency standards, according to U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.
Duffy confirmed in a post on X that 7,248 drivers have been removed from active service as of October 2025, under a renewed federal policy aimed at enforcing English fluency requirements for commercial vehicle operators.
“This is about Donald Trump and his administration making America’s roads SAFE again!” Duffy wrote.
The Department of Transportation (DOT) has clarified that all commercial drivers in the U.S. are required to speak and understand English sufficiently to read road signs, communicate with law enforcement and inspectors, and respond to directions during safety checks.
The crackdown follows a series of fatal road accidents involving truck drivers with limited English proficiency. One of the most recent incidents occurred on October 22, when a semitruck collided with an SUV on the 10 Freeway in Ontario, California, killing three people. The driver was identified as 21-year-old Jashanpreet Singh, a Punjabi trucker.
Earlier, another Indian-origin driver, Harjinder Singh, faced charges in Florida for an illegal U-turn on the Turnpike that led to three fatalities. These high-profile crashes intensified calls for stricter oversight of commercial trucking safety.
According to an executive order signed by President Trump in April, English proficiency is now a “non-negotiable safety requirement” for all professional drivers operating on U.S. roads.
“Drivers must be able to read and understand traffic signs, communicate with traffic safety officers, and report to employers in English,” Trump said while signing the order.
The Department of State, led by Secretary Marco Rubio, also announced a temporary pause on all worker visas for commercial truck drivers. Rubio stated that the move was necessary to protect both public safety and the livelihoods of American truckers.
“The increasing number of foreign drivers operating large tractor-trailers on U.S. roads is endangering American lives and undercutting the livelihoods of American truckers,” Rubio said.
The administration’s measures have drawn mixed reactions. Supporters applaud the decision as a long-overdue step toward road safety, while critics argue it could disrupt supply chains and worsen labor shortages in the logistics sector, which already faces a deficit of nearly 80,000 truck drivers nationwide.
Despite the criticism, Secretary Duffy maintains that the administration’s priority is “saving American lives.”
“We can fix the economy again, but we can’t bring back lost lives. Safety comes first,” he said.
