Federal roadside inspections by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) have skyrocketed since June 2025. Within just ninety days of renewed English-language proficiency enforcement, inspections climbed 67 percent compared to the same period last year. Nearly 8,000 inspections were conducted, up from 4,772 in 2024. These numbers illustrate the tangible impact of regulatory changes when enforcement priorities shift. Put simply, FMCSA roadside inspections are here to stay, for now – as there is no indication that enforcement is being rolled back.
The increase wasn’t steady, it spiked dramatically month after month. June inspections rose 76 percent, July surged by 79 percent, and August closed out with a 42 percent rise compared with the year-ago period. By contrast, May had shown only a modest 16 percent increase before the English proficiency order came into effect. This contrast underscores how a single policy decision can transform inspection practices nationwide.
The momentum is not slowing down. In 2024, FMCSA conducted about 12,400 federal roadside inspections nationwide. If the current pace holds, projections suggest that 2025 will surpass 20,000 inspections, a record-setting figure. When combined with state inspections, the total is expected to exceed 2 million by year’s end, compared with about 1.9 million last year. That difference, while seemingly small on paper, represents tens of thousands of additional stops, delays, and compliance checks across America’s highways.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy framed the policy as a matter of public safety. His declaration that “America First means safety first” highlighted a political and cultural dimension, but the practical outcome was unmistakable: drivers who could not demonstrate English proficiency were far more likely to be inspected, cited, and removed from service. Since May, more than 1,500 drivers have already been taken out of service for failing English proficiency roadside checks.
The requirement for truck drivers to demonstrate English-language proficiency has existed for decades. The rule was codified in 1985, requiring that commercial drivers be able to “read and speak English sufficiently” to handle highway signs, communicate with officials, and complete required reports. Enforcement waned after 2016, when regulators shifted focus to newer priorities such as electronic logging devices (ELDs) and Hours-of-Service (HOS) compliance. For nearly a decade, the language standard was effectively dormant.
That changed in 2025. An executive order signed by President Donald Trump in April directed Secretary Duffy to reinstate strict enforcement. Duffy’s May 20 order officially put the rule back into action, ensuring that non-compliant drivers would face more than warnings, they would face immediate out-of-service violations.
The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), representing about 12,000 certified inspectors nationwide, became a pivotal player. Its members were directed to begin issuing out-of-service violations for drivers who could not communicate in English or interpret road signs. This created immediate consequences for non-compliant drivers, many of whom were sidelined during roadside checks.
The revival of enforcement is particularly notable because it represents the first direct White House intervention in trucking regulations in nearly a decade. Safety advocates long argued that enforcement gaps placed both truckers and the public at risk, pointing to collisions where communication barriers were cited as contributing factors. By contrast, some industry groups argued that the English rule was outdated and exclusionary. The 2025 reinstatement demonstrates how politics and safety priorities often collide in the trucking world.
While federal inspections surged (FMCSA roadside inspections), state-level checks held steady at around 1.83 million through August. The split reveals that the uptick in enforcement stemmed primarily from federal orders rather than state initiatives. This divergence demonstrates how centralized policy decisions can outweigh local inertia.
By the end of August, combined federal and state enforcement had produced 3,724 English-language proficiency OOS violations. Of these, 448 drivers were cited specifically for being unable to understand road signs in English. These figures show the real-world stakes for drivers who fail language tests, not simply warnings, but forced removal from service. FMCSA reports that communication failures now account for about 12 percent of all OOS violations issued nationwide in Q3 2025.
Some states were slower to adopt the renewed mandates. California, New Mexico, and Washington faced direct threats of losing $50.5 million in federal funding unless they began enforcing the rules within thirty days. This type of fiscal pressure underscores how the federal government enforces compliance not only through inspections but also by controlling access to critical funding streams.
The resurgence of English proficiency enforcement can be traced back to Trump’s April 2025 executive order. The order instructed federal agencies to rescind earlier guidance that had softened requirements and to revise out-of-service criteria. This directive tied regulatory enforcement to broader political themes, placing trucking directly in the national spotlight.
For trucking companies, the enforcement shift means higher compliance costs and the need for stricter hiring standards. Carriers must ensure drivers meet English proficiency benchmarks before placing them on the road. For drivers, the change has created new risks of job loss, particularly for those who had been operating without fluency in English. The impact has been immediate: by July’s end, roughly 1,500 drivers were taken off the road, leaving fleets scrambling to replace them in an industry already short by 78,000 drivers in 2024.
- Carrier Concerns: Many small- and mid-sized fleets argue that the crackdown exacerbates the driver shortage, threatening supply chains.
- Safety Advocates: Groups like the Truck Safety Coalition applaud the move, noting that miscommunication contributes to roadside accidents.
- Driver Perspective: Immigrant drivers, who make up nearly 20 percent of the U.S. trucking workforce, say the enforcement feels discriminatory despite its safety intentions.
- Insurance Impact: Insurers are already factoring FMCSA roadside inspection data into risk models. Carriers with higher violation rates may see premiums climb, creating additional financial pressure.
The FMCSA’s renewed enforcement of English-language proficiency requirements has driven a dramatic surge in FMCSA roadside inspections. Federal policy changes, beginning with a presidential executive order, cascaded down to Transportation Secretary directives and CVSA enforcement on the ground. The result has been thousands of inspections, hundreds of out-of-service violations, and increased scrutiny across the trucking industry. While the long-term impact on safety and workforce stability remains to be seen, the short-term effect is clear: regulatory enforcement has shifted into high gear, reshaping the road ahead for America’s truck drivers.
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The surge stems from renewed enforcement of English-language proficiency requirements for truck drivers, launched in May 2025 under federal directives.
When a driver is placed out of service, they cannot legally operate their vehicle until compliance issues, such as English proficiency, are resolved.
States conduct their own roadside inspections, but federal funding pressures and oversight from FMCSA ensure that states adopt and enforce these standards consistently.
