Originally published at: Texas trucking CEO says drivers fear being targeted under English-language rule - FreightWaves
A Texas trucking CEO said English language enforcement varies from state-to-state, confusing drivers and exposing flaws in how the law is applied.
This requirement is not new. The English speaking requirement was codified into federal regulations in 1937. The Obama administration relaxed the requirement in 2016. Hire drivers that can speak the language proficiently as required and carriers will have no issues.
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Not sure that level of optimism applies to every LEO interaction even on an officer’s worst day. Seems ripe for profiling and harassment? Worse than a field sobriety test’s worth of subjective judgement.
Since you seem to read and understand English, let me put it in a non confusing way for you. If you don’t speak English your barred from operating on our highways. Seems pretty simple to me. Your days of paying less are over.
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Its been the law since the 1940s. Stop the fake crying and concern. Sitting in your cozy office, you don’t see the carnage and total lack of respect for the laws on the road. Your discount trucking days are numbered.
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Not sure if intentional; but this is same as tariffs. Only safe bet is to make you product here, with US materials (steel); if selling in USA. Same for drivers. Only safe bet is completely proficient drivers. These are not unreasonable; to participate in US economy, iMO.
Alex Scott/University of Tennessee Knoxville shows that 2025 federal EPL tickets a quarter of all the drivers the meet. Why are the Feds ticketing 3-4x as many as the most intensively ticketing state inspectors of WY? Or 7-8x as many as next highest, TX?
Something’s fishy…
Here’s an idea: Crowd source DuoLingo subscriptions or Rosettastone:English tapes for our federal inspectors that can’t understand every fourth driver?
Couldn’t we do it?!? Make Inspections Great Ahhh…. but maybe that’s not it?
#WorkforceDevelopment
#feds-deserve-education-too