Central Valley truckers react to federal English proficiency mandate

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – An executive order by President Donald Trump is causing many in the trucking industry to shift gears. 

The Department of Transportation (DOT) will now require all truck drivers to speak English. 

Trump issued that order back in April, but the DOT just released the enforcement guidelines on Wednesday. 

The California Truckers Association sent YourCentralValley.com a statement saying, “The California Trucking Association will work with the California Highway Patrol to ensure enforcement is objective and consistent with federal guidelines.”

Reporters spoke to many anonymous truck drivers who said they think the policy is a good idea. They say it will impact a lot of people, though. 

“We do run into a lot of people who don’t speak English, who can’t even read it,” an anonymous trucker said. 

He says speaking English is necessary for the job. 

“Speaking English, it’s crucial. Not just speaking it, but being able to understand it, because we’re driving across the country — places you’re not familiar with. And so you need to be able to read signs and understand what’s going on out there on the road,” he said. 

He says illiteracy is a common roadblock for drivers, as well as a safety risk to those around them. He says the way they get their CDL licenses is by pretending to know the language. 

“My CDL school that I went to, we had people who did not speak English, and the instructors gave them a piece of paper with phrases and key words to say during their tests,” the trucker said. 

Gurdeep Shergill of Fresno thinks the vast majority of local truck drivers speak Punjabi. As an advocate for their community, he has gotten some panicked phone calls lately. 

“There is a little concern, but at the same time, there are a lot of people who are trying to handle it,” Shergill said. 

He says some have gotten by for decades without knowing English. He sees the executive order as an opportunity for them to learn. 

“I would say the majority of the people they will be taking classes. There are people taking online classes. Some people even got tutors,” he said. 

He says the legislation will impact people all over the country. 

While some careers may hit a dead end, he hopes most will take on the challenge to learn English.