In a move that promises to be as controversial as it is decisive, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order requiring all trucking operators to demonstrate proficiency in English to drive on U.S. roads.

The measure, announced by Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy and announced by Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt at a White House briefing on April 28, rescinds an Obama- era policy that relaxed these requirements.

Is this a step toward US security, as its proponents argue? Or simply another obstacle for an industry already facing serious challenges?

The issue of language skills on U.S. roads is not new. For years, language requirements for trucking drivers have been a topic of debate, especially as the shortage of operators became more apparent.

Based on the information published in this executive order, the Secretary of Transportation will, within 60 days, identify and begin implementing additional administrative, regulatory, or enforcement measures to improve the working conditions of American truck drivers.

Source: White House website

In 2016, the Obama administration allowed a relaxation of English proficiency requirements, arguing that the industry needed a skilled workforce and, with a shortage of drivers, could not afford to overlook those who didn’t speak the language.

It is in this context that the Trump administration decided to strengthen the enforcement of language requirements. In swift action, the U.S. Department of Transportation began reviewing non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) for irregularities and will also review the guidelines issued by the Obama administration in 2016, which relaxed the enforcement of English language requirements.

“Federal law is clear: a driver who cannot sufficiently read or speak English, our national language, and understand traffic signs is not qualified to operate a commercial motor vehicle in the United States. This common-sense standard should never have been abandoned,” Secretary Sean P. Duffy said in a press release .

According to information released in the United States, carrier and operator groups such as the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) and the American Trucking Association (ATA) support the measure, arguing that English proficiency is essential for reading critical signs, understanding emergency instructions, and interacting with law enforcement.

According to information from the federal government in the neighboring country, 410 violations for lack of English proficiency were reported in states like Wyoming alone between October 2023 and September 2024; the measure responds to local concerns about road safety.

Measure that will reduce shortages in Mexico?

Globally , the International Road Transport Union (IRU) projections for 2028 on the shortage of freight transport drivers could reach historic levels, with more than seven million vacancies, of which 1,060,000 would be in Mexico , while in the United States it would be around 125,000 positions .

Among other factors of the shortage of operators in Mexico, which according to IRU in 2024 in Mexico reached levels of 99 thousand operators, the flight of national operators to qualify under the figure called B1 is identified , that is, operators with a US visa who can work in the United States, only on trips that begin in Mexican territory and have as their destination a point in the United States and vice versa.

“For some time now, there has been an effort to limit the operations of companies that operate with the so-called B1s , since in many cases the trips do not begin or end in Mexico, but rather in the United States itself,” commented a carrier involved in trade between the two countries.

Other sources consulted by T21 refer that the measure of limiting B1 operators by B1, could support the shortage of operators that exists in Mexico, since many of them will not be able to comply with the English requirements and this would allow the recovery of jobs that had been lost over time, and that according to IRU, went from having vacancies in 2023 for 56 thousand positions to 99 thousand in 2024.

Attempts to stop the B1

Throughout the border, it is common to see Mexican companies operating in the United States under the B1 category, a situation that increased in the post-COVID-19 pandemic, when there was a high demand for moving goods in the United States and the capacity of local companies was insufficient.

This situation led many Mexican companies to increase their operations in the United States, but precisely because of the drop in cargo levels in the neighboring country, there were various efforts to reduce the operations of B1 operators in that territory.

In recent months, news broke of a state initiative in Arkansas to prohibit the transit of transport units driven by operators holding B1 licenses . “The measure was aimed at limiting the transit of these individuals not only in that state, but nationwide,” commented a binational transportation company executive.

The I-30 highway, which connects the Laredo border and is the most important route for trade between Mexico and the United States, crosses through Arkansas and extends up to the Midwest to transport goods to major consumer centers in the United States. Had the initiative been successful, it would have rendered the B1s inoperable.

“There are many signs that B1s are beginning to be restricted, not only because they are not respecting the right to start or end their journey in Mexican territory, but in some cases, there are records of them carrying out domestic activities beyond what is permitted by the program that covers this concept,” reiterated the executive consulted.

In this context, the measure announced by the executive order appears to have objectives other than the road safety it refers to. However, for Mexico, it could translate into a reduction in vacancies, which are estimated to already reach 15% of the total available positions.

With information from Didier Ramírez.

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For freight operators , every kilometer traveled is a gamble against the unexpected, with deep potholes that force risky maneuvers, poorly marked curves that do not forgive mistakes, exhausting days that challenge human endurance and units that, with or without supervision, continue on their way in uncertain conditions.

Accidents and risk situations are not isolated events, they are part of everyday life on federal highways. But what is the real solution? More regulation? Greater supervision? Adequate infrastructure? The answer, according to Miguel Guzmán Negrete, certified expert, road safety consultant and general manager of Pisvi Mobility , is not in a single factor, but in the creation of a systemic model of prevention , which puts the driver at the center of all decisions.

Federal highway supervision efforts are still insufficient to reduce the risk of accidents. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt a comprehensive strategy that includes safe infrastructure , rigorous inspections and advanced technology in vehicles, explained Guzmán Negrete in an interview with T21.

He commented that there are technologies that can help improve road safety , such as artificial intelligence cameras inside the cabin that alert if the operator is falling asleep, distance sensors with other vehicles and systems that detect speeding or involuntary lane departure.

Lack of supervision on roads!

After the President of Mexico herself, Claudia Sheinbaum, acknowledged the lack of greater supervision on federal highways during the morning conference on February 17, the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transportation (SICT) reported that in 2024, 174,862 weight and dimension verifications were carried out on federal motor transport, in addition to 47,805 physical-mechanical inspections of units .

However, these figures are still insufficient . Guzmán Negrete warns that the risk persists and more comprehensive measures must be taken.

“First, we have to create a safe infrastructure and then, yes, other things have to come. There has to be the inspection of the vehicles, which must be in optimal conditions. The company also has to provide the drivers with vehicles in optimal conditions,” explained Guzmán Negrete.

The specialist warned that the lack of road safety in Mexico is a multifactorial problem in which road accidents are mostly due to human error, followed by the state of the infrastructure and mechanical failures in vehicles.

The main risk factors mentioned by the specialist include excessive speed, distractions while driving (such as cell phone use), operator fatigue and poor condition of the vehicles.

Miguel Guzmán Negrete explained that operators often face exhausting work days without adequate rest, which increases the likelihood of accidents.

He stressed that any safety strategy must prioritize operators and guarantee them adequate working conditions.

“The system I am talking about must have the person as the center of all business or government policy. The person is the one who must benefit from all our actions. That is, from everyone: from the company, from the government, from road maintenance, in short, from everything,” Guzmán Negrete pointed out.

For the specialist, another factor that has contributed to the deterioration of road safety is the elimination of the Federal Highway Police , which carried out speed control operations, such as the “carousel”, where patrols circulated at a moderate speed to set the pace of traffic and avoid speeding.

The use of technology in road transport is also a key point. Guzmán Negrete points out that today there are advanced systems that can help reduce risks.

“There is no excuse to say ‘my vehicle is 20 years old’ because certain technological devices can be installed without any problem ,” he commented.

However, he stressed that technology must be part of a broader strategy that includes road audits, monitoring operations and a focus on operator safety.

“The driver is the one who is affected today due to the inaction of everyone, but he is the one who should benefit from the action of everyone ,” he concluded.

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The road to gender equality in global transport is long, but as industry experts say, women are finally taking the wheel of an industry historically dominated by men.

At an event organised by the International Road Transport Organisation (IRU) , a number of women leaders shared their experiences and visions on how women are integrating into and transforming the transport sector despite the cultural, regulatory and structural challenges they face.

As Iro Doumani, chair of the IRU Freight Transport Council, noted, “The transport industry is willing to embrace the women it needs, because they are integral and necessary.”

For her part, Alejandra Cruz Ross, a transport specialist at the International Labour Organization (ILO) in Geneva, commented that women in high-income countries represent 20% of the industry .

“But when it comes to truck drivers, they represent 0.2% in those low-income countries,” he explained.

For the specialist, this figure reflects a significant disparity and highlights the structural and cultural barriers that women must overcome to enter this field.

Cruz Ross commented that policies and regulatory barriers that limit women’s participation in the sector become a challenge.

 “There are licenses that are prohibited for women, and in medical examinations or tests women could be biased,” Cruz Ross said.

She also noted that institutional discrimination , which manifests itself in a series of restrictions, is a persistent obstacle for women seeking to access jobs in road transport.

Despite these challenges, the panelists also highlighted the positive impact that women can have in the workforce .

In her speech, Elena Robles, legal director of Estafeta Mexicana , said that “today we have the first female president in Mexico and in different chambers and associations it is almost unthinkable to see panels where a woman does not participate.”

Robles highlighted the cultural change taking place worldwide, but acknowledged that there is still a long way to go.

“Today, when you get to the boards of the chambers, you see more women, and that is a sign that things are changing,” said Robles.

For her part, Cari Baylor, president of Baylor Trucking , shared her personal experience, recalling how, at the beginning of her career, “I was the only woman among 700 or 1,000 people in a transportation company . ”

However, he mentioned that, despite the obstacles, he has always focused on demonstrating his skills and abilities.

“My role models were always men, but that was because there were no women I could aspire to be like,” Baylor explained.

Although women are playing an increasingly important role in the global transport industry, they still face significant barriers that must be overcome, both at a cultural and institutional level.

(Main photo source: IRU)

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