Forty Mexican truck drivers have been barred from operating on U.S. highways due to insufficient English proficiency, according to industry officials.
In April, President Trump signed an executive order reinforcing an existing law that requires all truck drivers operating in the U.S. to read road signs and communicate effectively with law enforcement.
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The order officially took effect on June 26.
Israel Delgado Vallejo, vice president of the Northwest Chapter of the Chamber of Freight Transportation, confirmed that the affected drivers were operating in Texas, Mississippi, or Arkansas.
“The enforcement has been primarily in these states, but no one has lost their license in California,” he noted.
Drivers stripped of their U.S. commercial driving licenses now face fines ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 if caught behind the wheel without meeting English requirements.
Delgado Vallejo estimates that around 80,000 Mexican truck drivers cross the U.S. border daily, with 70% lacking sufficient English skills to comply with the mandate.
“Twenty to 30 percent can easily manage, but the remaining 70 percent probably can’t hold a conversation or know basic English to get by,” he said.
“But if you take them all off the road, it will have severe implications in the supply chain and cripple the economy of both countries.”
To address the issue, Delgado Vallejo said his organization and other groups within the trucking industry are now offering English language classes to help drivers improve their proficiency.
