in effect
Executive Order 14286, signed April 28, 2025, directs the Department of Transportation to strengthen enforcement of an existing federal requirement that commercial truck drivers be able to read, speak, and understand English. It also orders a review of commercial driver’s license (CDL) security practices and a broader look at truck driver working conditions.
Within 60 days, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) must rescind a 2016 guidance document (MC-ECE-2016-006) that had shaped how English proficiency rules were tested and enforced, and issue new inspection guidance in its place. The out-of-service criteria — the standards that determine when a driver must immediately stop operating — must be revised so that failing the English proficiency requirement results in the driver being pulled off the road. FMCSA must also review non-domiciled CDLs (licenses issued to drivers not residing in the issuing state) for unusual patterns or irregularities, and evaluate protocols for verifying both domestic and foreign driving credentials. Separately, within the same 60-day window, the Transportation Secretary must identify additional actions to improve truck driver working conditions.
Commercial motor vehicle drivers who do not meet the English proficiency standard set out in federal regulation 49 CFR 391.11(b)(2) face being placed out-of-service during roadside inspections rather than receiving lesser penalties under the prior enforcement posture. Motor carriers employing such drivers, state agencies that issue CDLs, and roadside enforcement personnel who conduct inspections will need to adjust their practices to align with the new guidance once it is issued.