DOL to Require English Proficiency for Foreign Truck Drivers: What It Means for Auto Transport

The U.S. Department of Labor is tightening the rules on who can get behind the wheel of a commercial truck in America. Starting around June 14, 2026, any company looking to hire foreign workers as commercial motor vehicle drivers will need to include English-language proficiency requirements in their labor certification filings. For anyone who ships vehicles or relies on the trucks that move them this is a regulatory shift worth watching closely.

Why the Change Is Happening Now

The Labor Department’s Office of Foreign Labor Certification issued new guidance on May 14, 2026, clarifying that all job orders and applications for temporary or permanent labor certification must include an English proficiency standard. This applies to any foreign worker who will operate a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) on U.S. roads.

Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling framed the move as a safety imperative: “Holding employers to existing English-language proficiency requirements is critical to keeping Americans safe on our roads.” The agency is giving employers a 30-day window to adjust before the requirement takes effect, with enforcement kicking in around mid-June.

Companies that fail to include the English proficiency requirement in their filings will receive a Notice of Deficiency. Worse, their labor certification applications will be paused until the filing is corrected, potentially delaying hiring timelines for carriers that depend on foreign labor.

The Bigger Picture: FMCSA Is Already Enforcing

This DOL action isn’t happening in a vacuum. The Labor Department is essentially aligning its foreign labor certification process with stricter English proficiency standards already being enforced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

FMCSA roadside inspections have surged since renewed English proficiency enforcement began in May 2025. Federal inspections jumped 67% year-over-year, with nearly 8,000 stops conducted in just ninety days. More than 1,500 drivers have already been taken out of service for failing English proficiency checks, including hundreds who couldn’t understand road signs.

The FMCSA requirement itself dates back to 1985, when regulators first mandated that commercial drivers be able to “read and speak English sufficiently” to handle highway signs, communicate with officials, and complete required reports. Enforcement had softened after 2016, but a 2025 executive order directed the Department of Transportation to reinstate strict compliance and the results have been immediate.

What This Means for Vehicle Transport

For the auto transport industry, the implications are layered. Carriers that rely on foreign drivers particularly those using H-2A temporary agricultural visas will face tighter hiring constraints. In the first half of fiscal 2026, 1,605 truck drivers received H-2A certifications, representing about 0.6% of all temporary agricultural workers approved. While that number may seem small, in an industry already short roughly 78,000 drivers, every hiring restriction matters.

The states most affected by H-2A truck driver hiring are also major vehicle transport corridors: Florida (12% of temporary agricultural workers), Georgia (11%), Washington (10%), California (9%), and North Carolina (7%). Any disruption to carrier hiring in these states could ripple through shipping routes and pricing.

For customers shipping vehicles, the short-term concern is capacity. If carriers lose access to foreign drivers or face delays in labor certification, available truck space could tighten especially during peak seasons. Tighter capacity typically means longer wait times and upward pressure on rates.

The Visa Pause and Restart Context

The regulatory tightening follows a period of uncertainty for foreign truck driver visas. Secretary of State Marco Rubio paused all commercial truck driver visa issuances on August 21, 2025, citing safety concerns and the impact on American truckers. Recent reports suggest those visas have resumed, though the State Department did not confirm this by press time. The DOL’s new certification requirement adds another checkpoint to an already complex hiring process.

What Shippers Should Know

If you’re planning to move a vehicle in the coming months, this regulatory shift reinforces the importance of working with established, compliant brokers and carriers. Companies that already maintain rigorous hiring and vetting standards will adapt more smoothly to the new requirements. Those that have relied on looser compliance or foreign labor pipelines without robust language screening may face disruptions.

At Ship A Car Inc, we monitor regulatory developments like these precisely because they affect the carrier networks our customers depend on. English proficiency enforcement is about road safety, and safer roads benefit everyone moving vehicles across the country. But the transition period can create friction, and friction in the carrier market tends to show up in scheduling and pricing.

The bottom line: the trucks that move your vehicle are only as reliable as the drivers behind the wheel. New English proficiency requirements are one more filter ensuring those drivers can communicate, navigate, and respond safely on American highways. For shippers, that means a more professional carrier pool over time but possibly some short-term bumps as the industry adjusts.

Planning a vehicle shipment? Get ahead of market shifts by locking in your transport early. Request a free quote from Ship A Car Inc and we’ll connect you with FMCSA-compliant carriers ready to move your vehicle safely and on schedule.