Truck Drivers In Texas Better Speak English – El Paso, Notsomuch

No joke. Truck drivers in Texas must now be able to speak, read and understand English or they can no longer drive. Some drivers will get a break though ...

This new law went into effect June 25th and applies to all commercial drivers in all 50 states. Certain truckers will be given some leniency though depending on exactly where they operate.

Drivers in El Paso are among those that may not be held to the laws highest standard.

Commercial drivers can be placed "Out Of Service", (OOS), for many things, typically safety violations like bad brakes, bald tires, faulty lights, etc. If a driver is caught operating a commercial vehicle while OOS, the fines are massive. Over $30K for most while hazardous materials violations can cost almost $100K.

How Is "English Proficiency" Determined?

Starting on June 25, to avoid being placed out-of-service, drivers must be able to read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, to understand highway traffic signs and signals in the English language, to respond to official inquiries, and to make entries on reports and records, officials say. - cdllife

Whether they can or not will be determined via an interview and the drivers ability to recognize highway traffic signs. The highway sign test isn't necessary if the interview convinces the official conducting it that the driver's English isn't good enough.

Which Drivers Get A Break?

Authorities are providing leniency for drivers operating commercial zones along the U.S.-Mexico border, noting that these drivers should be cited for ELP violations but not placed out-of-service or disqualified from operating commercial vehicles. cdllife