CHANDIGARH: Some 7,248 commercial truck drivers have been disqualified across the United States this year after failing mandatory English proficiency tests. Most of the affected drivers are of Indian origin. This follows an enforcement campaign by the US Department of Transportation (DOT) after a series of fatal highway incidents involving drivers from India. Industry groups warn that this move could worsen the US driver shortage.
The North American Punjabi Truckers Association estimates that 130,000 to 150,000 truck drivers from Punjab and Haryana are currently working in the US, many of whom have been impacted by the new regulations.
On October 30, US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that 7,248 drivers had been declared “out of service,” effectively debarred from driving in 2025 for failing real-time roadside English Language Proficiency (ELP) checks.
This year, the US Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration began enforcing new roadside English language tests for commercial truck drivers to comply with regulation 49 CFR 391.11(b)(2). The regulation requires drivers to read and speak English sufficiently to communicate with the public, understand traffic signs, and follow directions from law enforcement officers.
During the Obama administration, enforcement of this rule was relaxed through a memo, and since 2016, inspectors were discouraged from removing drivers solely for ELP deficiencies. However, as of June 25 this year, following directives from the Transportation Department under the Trump administration, drivers failing the English language tests were immediately debarred.
The crackdown was prompted by several fatal accidents involving drivers of Indian origin, including a pileup on a California highway last month in which an Indian driver was accused of killing three US citizens. There has also been renewed scrutiny of licensing standards. In another case in August, Indian-origin Harjinder Singh was involved in an accident on the Florida Turnpike that killed three people, raising questions about English language proficiency credentials. Approximately 1,500 debarment orders had already been issued by July of this year.
Many immigrant drivers with clean records fear being sidelined by stricter language checks. Critics argue that the link between English proficiency and crash risk is weak, while regulators maintain that basic English skills are a safety baseline for reading signs, following instructions, and interacting with police or emergency crews.
