U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy is marking the one‑year anniversary of President Trump’s executive order on trucking reform by touting sweeping federal actions that have reshaped the industry. The department’s efforts led to kicking more than 20,000 non‑English‑proficient drivers out of service, revoking over 28,000 illegally issued foreign CDLs, shutting down thousands of fraudulent training schools, and forcing noncompliant states like California and New York into line through massive funding penalties.
“The Trump Administration has hit major milestones in our efforts to rein in the trucking industry, which has been allowed to operate like the Wild, Wild West for far too long,” said U. S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “We’ve brought back common-sense rules of the road, including requiring English language proficiency and valid working documents for foreign drivers. When state leaders failed to keep Americans on the road safe, we stepped in and held them accountable, and we’re just getting started.”
Just over one year ago, Secretary Duffy put states on notice that they needed to comply with President Donald Trump’s executive orders regarding the illegal issuance of non-domiciled CDLs, Breitbart News’ Olivia Rondeau reported. Duffy wrote:
As recipients of such DOT funds, you have entered into legally enforceable agreements with the United States Government and are obligated to comply fully with all applicable Federal laws and regulations. These laws and regulations include the United States Constitution, Federal statutes, applicable rules, and public policy requirements, including, among others, those protecting free speech and religious liberty and those prohibiting discrimination and enforcing controls on illegal immigration. As Secretary of Transportation, I am responsible for ensuring recipients of DOT financial assistance are aware of and comply with all applicable legal obligations.
Almost immediately after President Trump’s directive to begin enforcing English-language proficiency tests for foreign truck drivers, non-compliant truckers began selling their rigs and removing themselves from roadways across the nation, Breitbart’s Neil Munro wrote.
In a statement released on Friday, Transportation officials stated, “In year one, Secretary Duffy cracked down on drivers who can’t read our road signs, closed loopholes allowing unqualified foreign drivers to get licenses to drive big rigs, held states accountable for illegally issuing non-domiciled Commercial Driver’s License (CDLs), and shut down thousands of fraudulent training schools.
Duffy’s efforts are designed to improve safety on American highways by ensuring that all drivers are proficient in the English language and can read and understand highway signs and laws, Breitbart reported. The number of incidents involving fatal crashes at the hands of non-English-proficient drivers spiked during the Biden-era influx of illegal aliens.
Breitbart reported examples of these dangers:
- February 14, 2025: A non-domiciled driver triggered a multi-vehicle crash inside a tunnel on I-80 in Wyoming, resulting in three fatalities and 20 injuries.
- August 12, 2025: A non-domiciled driver caused a crash killing three people on the Florida Turnpike after attempting an illegal U-turn.
- October 21, 2025: A non-domiciled driver failed to stop for traffic on a California highway, causing a collision involving eight vehicles that killed three people.
- December 3, 2025: A non-domiciled driver collided with a train at a marked crossing in Ontario, California, killing a crew member.
To further the efforts to make roadways safer, Duffy accomplished the following: (Emphasis added by DOT officials)
Ensuring Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers Speak English
- In May 2025, Secretary Duffy issued new guidance to enforce English Language Proficiency standards, rescinding an Obama-era policy that relaxed the rules around enforcing English proficiency. In June 2025, ELP was officially reincorporated.
- FMCSA is implementing English-only testing for drivers—a commonsense rule that ensures big-rig drivers can effectively communicate with law enforcement.
- FMCSA withheld $40 million from California in October 2025 for refusing to enforce ELP standards. As a result, California officially began enforcing ELP in January 2026.
- Since June 2025, more than 20,000 truckers have been kicked out of service for failing to meet basic requirements.
Cracking Down on States Issuing Foreign Drivers Illegal Licenses
- In June 2025, FMCSA launched a nationwide audit to hold states accountable for illegally issuing non-domiciled Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs).
- FMCSA has identified 30+ states issuing non-compliant CDLs and sent official enforcement actions to 26 states.
- FMCSA withheld $160 million from California (Jan 2026) and $73 million from New York (April 2026) for failing to revoke illegally issued non-domiciled CDLs.
- FMCSA finalized its rule in February 2026 to stop unqualified foreign drivers from obtaining a non-domiciled CDL.
- More than 28,000 illegally issued licenses have been successfully revoked nationwide.
- FMCSA mobilized 300+investigators across all 50 states in December 2025 to audit approximately 1,500 training providers.
- More than 6,800 unqualified training providers were removed from the FMCSA registry in the past year.
“I’ve spent my life looking out for the folks on our highways, and I’m telling you, these drivers are the heartbeat of this country,” said Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator Derek D. Barrs. “This administration is finally giving our truckers the support they’ve earned to get the job done and get home safe to their families.”
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An additional benefit for American truck drivers is the elimination of unfair competition from improperly licensed drivers willing to work for less. By removing more than 20,000 truckers from the highways and revoking more than 28,000 illegally issued licenses, more jobs are available for American truckers.
In November, American Truckers United’s Shannon Everett told Breitbart:
The American trucking industry is now 3.5 years into the longest and deepest downturn in its history — a downturn that was not caused by normal economic cycles, but by the mass dumping and rapid licensing of hundreds of thousands of recently arrived migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers into commercial trucking. This unprecedented labor dumping has flooded the driver pool, allowing brokers and power only fleets to slash rates to levels that no experienced American driver can survive on. The result has been devastating: tens of thousands of U.S.-citizen owner-operators and small fleet owners have been driven into bankruptcy, forced to park their trucks, or pushed entirely out of the profession they spent decades building. What we’re witnessing isn’t a recession — it was an attempted replacement of American truck drivers on a scale never seen before in this industry. We are eternally grateful that President Trump and his administration are now attempting to right the ship.
The DOT also touts the following success stories aimed at improving conditions for America’s commercial drivers:
Supporting America’s Truck Drivers
- FMCSA has invested more than $300 million in truck parking grants since April 2025.
- FMCSA is actively engaging with drivers to ensure trucker voices are heard. In March 2026, Secretary Duffy joined the Mid-America Trucking Show in Kentucky with more than 53,000 truckers from all 50 states.
- FMCSA and NHTSA withdrew the joint rulemaking proposing speed limiters on heavy vehicles, as it became a safety hazard when drivers were forced to go slower than the flow of traffic.
- FMCSA affirmed the Electronic Logging Device exemption for pre-2000 model year trucks.
- FMCSA is proposing to eliminate over 1,800 words of federal regulations, saving the industry millions annually.
- FMCSA introduced two pilot programs to study whether giving drivers more control over their own schedules will increase safety and reduce fatigue:
- Flexible Sleeper Berth: Allows drivers to split their 10-hour off-duty period.
- Split Duty Periods: Allows drivers to pause their 14-hour on-duty clock for 30 minutes to 3 hours.
- FMCSA prohibits motor carriers, shippers, receivers, and brokers from pressuring drivers to violate federal safety regulations. FMCSA recently issued official guidance to help drivers navigate these issues.
- In April 2026, FMCSA rolled out an upgraded DataQs process to ensure fair, impartial, and timely due process for drivers correcting their safety records.
- FMCSA upgraded its complaint system (NCCDB) to a mobile-friendly platform with faster response times and new categories for noncompliant brokers and training providers.
- FMCSA launched a refreshed, mobile-friendly driver resources webpage.
As the administration enters its second year of trucking reform, federal officials say the mission remains the same: restore safety, integrity, and fairness to an industry that millions of Americans rely on every day. With English‑language standards reinstated, illegal foreign licenses revoked, fraudulent training schools dismantled, and long‑ignored state violations finally facing consequences, DOT leaders argue the groundwork has been laid for a safer highway system and a more stable future for American truckers. They maintain that the reforms launched under President Trump’s directive are only beginning to take hold—and that the effort to rebuild a lawful, accountable, and American‑led trucking workforce will continue to accelerate in the months ahead.
Bob Price is the Breitbart Texas-Border team’s associate editor and senior news contributor. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday morning talk show. He is a U.S. Air Force veteran and serves as president of Blue Wonder Gun Care Products.
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