Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered the Department of Public Safety to “Strictly Enforce English Proficiency Requirements For Commercial Drivers.” The order follows recent coverage by Breitbart Texas of the Lone Star State leading the nation in having truck drivers removed from service for not being proficient in English.
“Truckers play an instrumental role in Texas’ robust economy and in keeping our highways safe,” said Governor Abbott in a written statement on Thurdsay. “Every commercial driver license operator on Texas roadways must be able to communicate clearly in English to ensure compliance with traffic laws, follow safety directions, and prevent accidents.”
Abbott’s statement comes shortly after Breitbart Texas reported on the state leading the nation, by double the second-place state, of commercial truck drivers who received “out of service” orders for not being proficient in reading and understanding English.
On September 1, Breitbart Texas reported that Texas leads the nation, by a large percentage, of commercial driver’s license holders receiving “out of service” orders for not being proficient in reading and speaking English. Governor Abbott’s spokesman, Andrew Mahaleris, responded to an inquiry from Breitbart, saying, “Governor Abbott expects trucking companies in Texas to fully comply with President Trump’s Executive Order. Public safety is priority #1, and we must ensure that truckers are able to navigate Texas roadways safely and efficiently.”
Mahaleris referred to a presidential executive order by President Donald Trump issued in May, which called for truck drivers with commercial licenses to be proficient in speaking and reading English.
On Thursday morning, Abbott stated, “Today, I am directing DPS to enact zero-tolerance enforcement of these federal safety regulations across the board—whether drivers are operating across state lines or only within Texas. This approach will keep Texans safe while keeping our economy moving.”
