Lilliana Rodriguez
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) voted to enact stricter English-Language requirements for commercial vehicle drivers in the US starting June 25, days after an executive order signed by Donald Trump to require all truck drivers to able to speak English with “proficiency” or be placed out-of-service. In a fact sheet released by the White House, this executive order contributes to “Upholding National Language Standards”, referring to Trump’s executive order in March of this year designating English as the national language of the United States.
The CVSA is a non-profit organization which guides the inspection of commercial vehicles in North America following rules from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
This guidance will go into affect for interstate truck and bus drivers during inspections. Roadside inspections may occur over minor mechanical issues or on a routine basis, and most often at highway weigh stations. These new rules inspectors to determine independently whether a driver is proficient enough in English. In the past, drivers have been able to use scripts and translation aids to communicate with officials, but the updated policy now restricts the use of any language aids.
According to Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association President Todd Spencer, attempting to portray the tightened rules as a safety measure rather than a crackdown on workers: “We have bridges that get hit because drivers don’t understand the signs on the bridges for things like height clearance,” referencing the road signs which often use symbols and no words to convey their meaning.
This move by the CVAS is expected to significantly reduce trucking capacity as 10% of truck drivers lack proficiency in English according to industry magazine Freight Waves, who admit the rules are in part to aid with “right sizing” the logistics sector—meaning layoffs and attacks on working conditions.
The rule comes amid widespread attacks on migrants—mainly workers—with the recent ICE terror campaign. According to the same expert cited by Freight Waves, 40% of truckers are immigrants. Many waged drivers are foreign workers on work visas, but the crackdown on the wage workers will also squeeze the owner-operators by generally driving down conditions and rates, including for those with the mandated English proficiency.
Industry experts cited by Freight Waves expect that the new English Language requirements will reduce the number of eligible drivers to address the “excess capacity” in the sector, meaning overproduction of the means of production in logistics infrastructure and workers as part of the developing economic crisis of imperialism. These new language requirements and the continuing layoffs in freight come as self-driving trucks are currently being tested on Texas highways.
Image: CVSA Inspection, CSVA Website
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