The US Department of Labor (DOL) has stepped further into the debate around English language requirements for truck drivers, issuing new guidance that sharpens how the rule should be applied when companies hire commercial drivers.
There are no new laws in place, but the message is clear: employers are now expected to formally address English language proficiency during the recruitment process for any role involving commercial vehicle operations.
The guidance, described as “sub-regulatory,” is mainly about clarifying responsibilities. It focuses on how the DOL fits into the wider enforcement system, where the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) remains the main enforcement authority.
At the same time, the DOL’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification is now being more explicit about its expectations. Employers applying for temporary or permanent labour certification must include English proficiency as part of job requirements in their applications and job orders.
If they don’t, the consequence is straightforward: a Notice of Deficiency, which effectively pauses the processing of the application until it is corrected.
The department says the aim is simply to create consistency. According to its statement, many employers are already following these requirements, but the new guidance is meant to ensure the same standard is applied across the board.
The legal requirement itself hasn’t changed. Drivers must still be able to read and speak English well enough to communicate with the public, understand road signs, respond to official instructions, and complete reports and records.
The issue has become more politically visible in recent years, especially after an April 2025 executive order titled “Enforcing commonsense rules of the road for America’s truck drivers,” in which President Trump called English proficiency a “non-negotiable safety requirement.”
The DOL also highlighted a practical nuance in the system: some drivers operating in interstate commerce may not necessarily hold a full commercial driver’s licence, but they are still expected to meet the same language standard.
Finally, the department clarified that its guidance only applies within its own certification process. Other federal agencies may enforce similar requirements, but the DOL’s rules do not automatically extend across the wider federal framework.
