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US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that will make it mandatory for truck drivers across the country to be proficient in English.
The order, signed on Monday, highlighted the key role played by truck drivers in keeping the US economy afloat, adding, “Every day, truckers perform the demanding and dangerous work of transporting the Nation’s goods to businesses, customers, and communities safely, reliably, and efficiently.”
It said that their job requires them to read and understand traffic signs, communicate with traffic safety, border patrol, agricultural checkpoints, and cargo weight-limit station officers which are all communicated in English.
“Drivers need to provide feedback to their employers and customers and receive related directions in English,” the order added.
New guidelines
As per the executive order, a driver must be proficient enough in the language that would enable them “to converse with the general public” and operate a commercial vehicle in the US.
“My Administration will enforce the law to protect the safety of American truckers, drivers, passengers, and others, including by upholding the safety enforcement regulations that ensure that anyone behind the wheel of a commercial vehicle is properly qualified and proficient in our national language, English,” it said.
The directive indicates that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will release updated guidelines regarding English language proficiency testing and related enforcement procedures. According to the order, drivers who fail to meet the English proficiency standard will be placed “out of service.”
Is English America’s official language?
In January, Trump signed an order designating English as the United States’ official language. “Speaking English not only opens doors economically, but it helps newcomers engage in their communities, participate in national traditions, and give back to our society,” Trump wrote in the order.
It also means that federal agencies are no longer required to provide language assistance to non-English speakers.
“This order recognises and celebrates the long tradition of multilingual American citizens who have learned English and passed it to their children for generations to come,” Trump added.