Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) directed the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to enforce the English language proficiency requirement established under President Donald Trump.
Under Abbott’s direction, DPS Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Troopers will conduct English language reviews for commercial license operators in the state. Since Trump issued his order on the standard, DPS and partner agencies have “taken enforcement action against approximately 445 commercial vehicle drivers in Texas for English proficiency violations,” Abbott’s office explained. “Of those, about 28 held Texas licenses, while roughly 336 were licensed in Mexico, with the remainder licensed in other states and countries.”
“Truckers play an instrumental role in Texas’ robust economy and in keeping our highways safe,” Abbott said. “Every commercial driver license operator on Texas roadways must be able to communicate clearly in English to ensure compliance with traffic laws, follow safety directions, and prevent accidents. Today, I am directing DPS to enact zero-tolerance enforcement of these federal safety regulations across the board—whether drivers are operating across state lines or only within Texas. This approach will keep Texans safe while keeping our economy moving.”
According to American Truckers United, Texas is “largely responsible for the truck drivers that don’t speak English on America’s roadways.”
Under Trump’s April order on the matter, truckers “should be able to read and understand traffic signs, communicate with traffic safety, border patrol, agricultural checkpoints, and cargo weight-limit station officers.”
“Drivers need to provide feedback to their employers and customers and receive related directions in English,” the order read, noting that the policy is “common sense.”
