Some foreign truckers are reportedly quitting the industry because President Donald Trump directed deputies Monday to restart the English-language proficiency tests for foreign drivers.
One Spanish-speaking driver told CBS Miami that “it is an awful law,” and added that he has seen many truck drivers putting their trucks on sale.
“The Cuban-American community could be one of the most affected,” said a report from En.Cibercuba.com.
“It is estimated that between 20,000 and 25,000 truck drivers of Cuban origin are active in the United States, many of whom have limited proficiency in English, [and] the requirement to pass an official test could pose an additional hurdle for their job stability,” the site added.
Some industry officials object to Trump’s enforcement of the safety rule that was ended by President Barack Obama’s deputies in 2016.
“I think it is more political propaganda by President Trump,” Rigto Dia, the CEO of Simplex Group, told NBC Miami. He added: “This is going to definitely, in my opinion, create a crisis. There is a driver shortage as it is in the U.S. of 70,000 drivers because the new generation are not coming into the industry.”
Dia’s company is paid to help diverse drivers meet industry licensing and safety rules.
Advocates for drivers say the supposed shortage of drivers is a symptom of the industry’s low wages and terrible working conditions. The industry chews up new drivers, hindering the creation of a stable professional workforce.
NBC Miami also reported: “Trucker Hermes Duran said he can at least communicate and speak in English but he realizes if his English is not good enough, an official could force him ‘out-of-service,’ which essentially means he could be out of the job if they don’t understand him. Miguel Campos said he doubts trucking security has much to do with the language but this is where things stand.”
A growing number of Americans have been killed by foreign contract drivers, including many Sikh drivers from India who use B-1 visitor visas to legally get jobs as truckers.
But the new rule is being welcomed by the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association. “OOIDA and the 150,000 truckers we proudly represent strongly support President Trump’s decision to resume enforcement of English proficiency requirements for commercial drivers,” OOIDA President Todd Spencer declared after Trump signed the Executive Order on Monday:
Basic English skills are essential for reading critical road signs, understanding emergency instructions, and interacting with law enforcement. Road signs save lives—but only when they’re understood. That’s why OOIDA petitioned the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance earlier this year to reinstate English proficiency as an out-of-service violation. Today’s announcement is a welcome step toward restoring a common-sense safety standard.
Industry officials, however, say the administration must take additional steps to help the trucking industry recover from Biden’s migration policy.
Biden’s deputies added a massive number of migrants to the trucking industry as they tried to inflate his “Bidenomics” economy with foreign workers, consumers, and renters. “A prominent trucking insurance executive told me that he estimates more than 40% of the truck drivers in the US are first-generation immigrants,” said a tweet from industry executive Craig Fuller. “10% of the total truck driver population does not speak English proficiently.”
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