William Wood
Founder, TruckTalk
With more than 20,000 drivers placed out of service between June 2025 and March 2026 — up from just 14 the year before — English proficiency enforcement has become the fastest-growing compliance risk in trucking. Here's what changed and how to protect your fleet.
If you manage a trucking fleet, you've probably noticed a seismic shift in how English Language Proficiency (ELP) is being enforced at roadside inspections. The numbers tell the story: in 2023 and 2024 combined, FMCSA recorded just 14 out-of-service violations for English proficiency. In 2025? That number exploded to over 12,300.
This isn't a new rule — the requirement that commercial drivers read and speak English has been on the books since 1937. What changed is enforcement. Here's the timeline every fleet manager needs to understand.
What Changed in 2025
In April 2025, a new Executive Order titled "Enforcing Commonsense Rules of the Road for America's Truck Drivers" called for reinstatement of consistent, nationwide enforcement of the existing English proficiency regulation. The key changes:
- Out-of-service consequences restored: Starting June 25, 2025, the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) added ELP violations back to its out-of-service criteria. A driver who fails the assessment gets parked — immediately.
- No workarounds allowed: Translation apps, interpreter cards, I-Speak cards, and phone interpretation services cannot be used during inspections. The driver must communicate in English, period.
- CDL testing in English only: CDL exams must now be administered in English, and existing drivers face recertification requirements.
What Inspectors Actually Test
During a roadside inspection, FMCSA personnel initiate all contact in English. If the inspector suspects the driver may not understand, they conduct a formal ELP assessment consisting of two parts:
- Driver interview: Can the driver converse about their route, cargo, and basic operational questions?
- Highway sign recognition: Can the driver identify and explain common road signs in English?
Failure on either part results in an out-of-service order. The driver cannot continue until the violation is resolved — which typically means the carrier has to send another driver to complete the load.
The Cost to Carriers
An out-of-service violation isn't just an inconvenience. The cascading costs include:
- Delayed deliveries and potential contract penalties
- Cost of dispatching a replacement driver
- Towing and parking fees for the stranded vehicle
- Impact on your CSA (Compliance, Safety, Accountability) score
- State-level fines that are getting steeper every month
States Are Adding Their Own Penalties
It's not just federal enforcement. States are piling on with their own legislation:
- Arkansas: $500 fine for first offense, $1,000 for subsequent violations
- Alabama: $1,000 fine for the driver, $2,000 for the carrier, plus potential vehicle impoundment
- Iowa: Proposed $1,000 driver fines with even higher penalties for carriers
- Indiana: Proposed penalties up to 30 months in prison for drivers and $50,000 fines for companies
What You Can Do Right Now
The carriers that are getting ahead of this aren't waiting for violations to pile up. They're investing in English training programs specifically designed for the trucking context — not generic ESL courses, but focused training on the exact vocabulary, signs, and conversational skills that inspectors test.
The key is starting before your drivers are on the road facing an inspector. A proactive approach to ELP compliance protects your drivers, your fleet, and your bottom line.
Keep Your Fleet Compliant
TruckTalk provides English proficiency training built specifically for truck drivers and roadside inspections.
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