Truck drivers will be required to take their commercial driver’s license tests in English, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced on Feb. 20. 

“When we get on the road, we should expect that we should be safe. And that those who drive those 80,000-pound big rigs, that they are well-trained, they’re well-qualified, and they’re going to be safe,” said Duffy. 

Some states still allow drivers to take their license tests in other languages, even though they are required to demonstrate English proficiency.

At a Feb. 20 press conference, Duffy and Derek Barrs, head of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, also outlined several other planned rulemakings and actions to improve safety and eliminate bad actors.

FMCSA plans to strengthen driver safety by enhancing vetting of electronic logging devices and completing the rollout of the state-of-the-art MOTUS registration system that relies on biometrics. 

The agency is planning multiple actions to reduce fraud, including going after chameleon carrier networks that use shell companies.

FMCSA will also require carriers to maintain a physical location where records can be inspected within 48 hours, expand Operation SafeDRIVE to remove unsafe truckers from the road, and conduct more sting operations to shut down CDL Mills that certify unqualified truckers.