110 Trucking Schools Closed for English-Language Lapses
NYT > U.S. > Politics — 2026-08-31 16:08:00 — www.nytimes.com
In April 2025, President Trump issued an executive order mandating that commercial truck drivers who failed to demonstrate English-language proficiency would be placed “out of service” and immediately forced to stop operations, according to Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. This directive is part of a broader Trump administration crackdown on what it describes as abuses within the commercial trucking industry, particularly targeting immigrant drivers and training schools accused of certifying unqualified operators.
Trump’s Executive Order and Its Impact
The executive order signed by President Trump marked a significant escalation in federal enforcement of a rule that has existed since the 1930s but has not been consistently applied: commercial truck drivers must have a basic command of English to read road signs and communicate with law enforcement. Under Trump’s directive, drivers who fail to meet this standard are immediately sidelined, regardless of their license status.
Secretary Duffy announced that, as a result of this order and subsequent investigations, the Department of Transportation has revoked the accreditation of 110 commercial trucking schools for certifying drivers who could not demonstrate English proficiency. Duffy also stated that more than 28,000 truck drivers have been “placed out of service” since June 2025 for failing English-language checks during roadside inspections.
Questionable Claims and Enforcement
The Trump administration claims that since the start of the current term, commercial truckers lacking English proficiency have been involved in accidents causing at least 239 deaths, citing police and accident reports. However, these statistics could not be independently verified. The administration also asserts that, in the past year and a half, over 30,000 licenses issued to foreign drivers have been canceled and more than 8,000 unqualified training schools have been removed from the federal registry.
The crackdown has included threats to withhold highway funds from states that do not comply with the administration’s standards for driver licensing and training. The messaging has increasingly focused on English-language ability as a proxy for safety and legality, particularly in the context of immigrant drivers.
Fact-Checking and Criticism
While the administration’s stated goal is to improve road safety, critics argue that the focus on English proficiency and the sweeping statistics cited by officials lack transparency and independent verification. The Department of Transportation’s own figures regarding fatal accidents and the number of licenses revoked have not been corroborated by outside sources.
Moreover, the Trump administration’s approach has drawn criticism for conflating language ability with legal status and safety, and for targeting immigrant communities disproportionately. The executive order and subsequent enforcement actions have led to the closure of hundreds of training schools, many of which are accused of operating with unlicensed instructors or inadequate facilities.
Conclusion
President Trump’s executive order and the ensuing crackdown on commercial trucking schools and drivers represent a dramatic shift in federal transportation policy, emphasizing English-language proficiency as a central requirement. However, the administration’s claims about the dangers posed by non-English-speaking drivers and the scale of the problem remain unverified, raising questions about the accuracy and intent behind the policy. As enforcement continues, the impact on immigrant drivers and the trucking industry at large is likely to remain a contentious issue.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/31/us/politics/truck-driving-schools-closed-english-language.html