'Subjective standard': Truckers slam new Trump policy that took 6,000 drivers off roads

Nearly 6,000 commercial truck drivers have been taken off the road since June for failing to meet new federal English-language requirements, according to a Washington Post analysis of government data.

A report published in the Post Thursday noted that the policy — which was implemented in May by the Department of Transportation — requires truckers to demonstrate basic English proficiency during roadside inspections.

Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said the measure is aimed at improving road safety. “Americans are a lot safer on roads alongside truckers who can understand and interpret our traffic signs,” Duffy said.

But the rule has drawn criticism from industry leaders and civil rights advocates who say it lacks clear standards and could unfairly target immigrant drivers, per the report.

“English proficiency is such a subjective standard,” Brandon Wiseman, president of Trucksafe Consulting, told the outlet.

“What one officer might think is proficient, another officer down the road might think is not.”

The department announced Wednesday it will withhold over $40 million in federal funding from California, accusing the state of failing to enforce the rule.

“California is the only state in the nation that refuses to ensure big rig drivers can read our road signs and communicate with law enforcement,” Duffy said.

The crackdown followed an August crash in Florida involving driver Harjinder Singh, who was later found to have failed an English assessment.

Singh faces vehicular homicide charges and has pleaded not guilty.

Trucking schools like Eli Soler’s in Miami are now incorporating English training into their programs

“This is an industry that requires both skills, the English to communicate and the proficiency to drive equipment,” Soler said.

Industry experts warn the new policy could worsen driver shortages, especially among Latino drivers, who make up over 15 percent of the workforce.