California Gov. Gavin Newsom will now require commercial truck drivers to be tested for English language proficiency after months of resistance to federal enforcement efforts. The move follows the U.S. Department of Transportation withholding more than $40 million in federal funding since October and threatening to withhold an additional $160 million in February, Fox 8 reported.
“I shouldn’t have had to threaten to withhold millions in funding for California to come to their senses and enforce the law,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. “For those who said we’re playing politics, our efforts have gotten real results for the American people.”
Under the new enforcement, all truck and bus drivers will be required to take their commercial driver’s license exams in English.
Duffy announced the effort Friday, saying drivers must be able to read road signs and communicate with law enforcement. Florida has already begun administering commercial driver’s license tests exclusively in English.
Federal law requires drivers to demonstrate English proficiency, but many states have allowed testing in other languages. California previously offered commercial license exams in 20 languages.
Duffy said some states contracted third-party companies to administer CDL tests, and those companies were not consistently enforcing federal standards for English proficiency.
The announcement comes days after the Transportation Department said 557 driving schools should close for failing to meet basic safety standards.
"I'm about to pull $160M from California” – Sec Duffy
Do it! Why wait?
pic.twitter.com/9y4euDZXwk— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) October 26, 2025
Federal officials have intensified enforcement following a fatal crash in August involving a foreign truck driver Duffy said was not authorized to be in the United States. Reports said the driver made an illegal U-turn in Florida, causing a crash that killed three people.
Another crash in Indiana earlier this month killed four members of an Amish community, further raising concerns.
States are required to ensure drivers can speak English before issuing commercial licenses. Law enforcement officers are also expected to assess drivers’ language skills during traffic stops and inspections.
Drivers who cannot communicate effectively are supposed to be placed out of service.
A recent federal enforcement operation involving 8,215 inspections resulted in nearly 500 drivers being disqualified over English proficiency issues. California recently removed more than 600 drivers from the road.
Duffy said safety concerns in the trucking industry have gone unaddressed for years.
“Once you start to pay attention, you see that all these bad things have been happening. And the consequence of that is that Americans get hurt,” Duffy said. “When we get on the road, we should expect that we should be safe. And that those who drive those 80,000-pound big rigs, that they are well-trained, they’re well-qualified, and they’re going to be safe.”
The Transportation Department is also expanding efforts to target fraudulent trucking companies.
Duffy said registration requirements will be strengthened while Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration inspectors conduct additional spot checks of trucks and commercial driver’s license schools.
Currently, trucking companies pay $300 and provide proof of insurance to register, and may not undergo a compliance audit for a year or longer.
Some audits are conducted virtually.
Industry officials say that the system has allowed so-called chameleon carriers to repeatedly register under different names to avoid penalties after crashes or violations.
Dan Horvath, chief operating officer of the American Trucking Associations, said weak enforcement has allowed unsafe carriers to remain in operation.
“What we think at ATA has happened over the years is that we have a lack of true enforcement and intervention with motor carriers that are in operation,” Horvath said.
After the Indiana crash, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration placed the driver’s employer out of service and revoked the DOT numbers of two affiliated companies.
Tutash Express and Sam Express in the Chicago area were disqualified, and the Aydana driving school attended by the driver lost its certification.
