Trump signs executive order demanding truck drivers speak English

President issues latest ‘common sense’ directive

President Donald Trump signed an executive order demanding truck drivers operating on America’s highways be able to speak English.

Trump has already moved to formally recognize English as the official language of the United States and the new order compels the nation’s truckers to demonstrate their proficiency before hitting the roads.

“America’s truck drivers are essential to the strength of our economy, the security of our nation, and the livelihoods of the American people,” the order states.

Donald Trump behind the wheel of a garbage truck as part of a campaign stunt during last year’s election (Reuters)

“Every day, truckers perform the demanding and dangerous work of transporting the nation’s goods to businesses, customers, and communities safely, reliably, and efficiently.”

It goes on to argue that proficient English “should be a non-negotiable safety requirement for professional drivers.

“They 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. This is common sense.”

The order goes on to declare that truckers must be able to read and speak English “sufficiently to converse with the general public” and to direct Transport Secretary Sean Duffy to introduce new testing and enforcement to that effect.

A failure to comply with Duffy’s new rules will render drivers “out-of-service.”

A logging truck crosses New Hampshire (AP)

The new directive is a reversal of a policy change made under Barack Obama’s administration that removed the requirement that truck drivers be placed out-of-service if they violate federal English language proficiency rules.

Prior to Monday’s signing, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt had introduced the order by describing hauliers as “the backbone of our economy”.

“You might not know, but there’s a lot of communication problems between truckers on the road with federal officials and local officials, as well, which obviously is a public safety risk,” she added.

Responding to the order, Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), said: “OOIDA and the 150,000 truckers we proudly represent strongly support President Trump’s decision to resume enforcement of English proficiency requirements for commercial drivers.

“Basic English skills are essential for reading critical road signs, understanding emergency instructions, and interacting with law enforcement.”

It was less warmly received on social media, however, with podcaster Brian Allen commenting: “Nothing screams fixing America like hunting down accents while bridges collapse and inflation guts the country.”

An anti-Trump account meanwhile branded the move “insane” and warned it could cost the Republican Party future votes from freight and logistics sector employees.

Novelist Patrick S Tomlinson satirized the policy by imagining truckers complaining that they face having their vehicles repossessed because there is no demand for their services as a result of the president’s trade war with China, only for Trump to respond: “Speak English!”