The Federal Government is Cracking Down on Foreign Truck Drivers with CDLs

Trucking Industry Crackdown!

Employers beware that the federal government has been imposing stricter guidelines for commercial driver’s licenses.

Those in the trucking industry are probably aware of the fact that the number of truck drivers holding non-domiciled or foreign-issued licenses has been rising here in America. Many consumers may be surprised to find out that some people driving large 18 wheeler trucks on our freeways are not proficient in English which is the only language we use for our road and detour signs.

Employers, managers, and supervisors at trucking companies should be aware that the federal government has gone through great lengths in recent months to crackdown on the amount of illegal aliens driving large trucks for trucking companies. The federal government has made it harder for foreign drivers to receive commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) and has reduced the number of training facilities that can issue these CDLs. In recent months, threats to withhold funding has even forced California to revoke illegally issued CDLs.

On April 28 of this year, President Trump signed an executive order requiring the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to issue new enforcement guidelines to ensure that the commercial truck drivers who cannot pass English proficiency standards are placed as out-of-service and unable to continue driving on our roads. These enforcement guidelines went into effect in the latter part of June. Foreigners seeking CDLs must pass these new English proficiency standards.

For example, the Executive Order made clear that, under Federal law, a driver operating a commercial truck must be able to “read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, to understand highway traffic signs and signals in the English Language, to respond to official inquiries, and to make entries on reports and records.” The White House further elaborated by stating that commercial drivers should “be able to read and understand traffic signs; communicate with traffic safety officers, border patrol, agricultural checkpoints, and cargo weight-limit station personnel; and provide and receive feedback and directions in English.” If the foreigner is unable to do any of these things, they will not be issued a CDL.

Thereafter, on July 30, 2025, DOT Secretary Sean Duffy reported that approximately 1,500 drivers were put on out-of-service status because they failed to demonstrate English Language Proficiency. In addition, the US Department of Transportation withheld $40 million from California after it found that California did not comply with the DOT’s English Language Proficiency (ELP) requirements in issuing the commercial licenses. Recently, the DOT also threatened to pull an additional $160 million in federal funding from California if it did not revoke these illegally issued CDLs for foreigners who could not pass the DOT’s English Language Proficiency requirements.

In response to these threats, California revoked approximately 17,000 non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) that were issued to “dangerous foreign drivers” in violation of federal law. These revoked CDLs are set to expire automatically within 60 days. California is just one state to have failed to comply with the DOT’s English Language Proficiency requirements. There are likely many more states that failed to comply as well. Employers, managers, and supervisors know their workforce best, and they should be aware if any of their drivers would not pass the DOT’s English Language Proficiency requirements.

Finally, on December 1, 2025, DOT Secretary Sean Duffy stated that approximately 3,000 commercial driver’s license (CDL) training providers have been removed from the federal registry as part of the DOT’s crackdown on test training centers not in compliance with federal standards. That means these providers have been removed from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Training Provider Registry. This Registry lists all centers that are authorized to provide entry-level driver training and follow the minimum federal training requirements for these entry-level drivers.

Employers, managers, and supervisors should beware that their workforce could be diminished dramatically. The federal government is imposing more stringent requirements for CDLs, and those in the trucking industry must conform to these new stringent requirements.