The Trump driver licence plans will require all commercial lorry and bus drivers in the United States to meet stricter English language standards before receiving their licence.
The announcement was made this week by US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy under the administration of Donald Trump.
WHY ON EARTH is it easier for a dangerous ILLEGAL TRUCKER to get a commercial driver’s license than an AMERICAN CITIZEN?
We stopped this madness in its tracks under @POTUS 🛑
Our new rule restricts eligibility and ensures ONLY qualified drivers can operate big rigs.
America… pic.twitter.com/yh6jCekVDK
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) February 20, 2026
The policy forms part of a wider safety crackdown targeting both drivers and training schools across all 50 US states.
Officials say the aim is improve road safety by ensuring drivers can read road signs, understand instructions and communicate clearly with law enforcement officers.
What exactly do the Trump driver licence plans change?
Under federal rules overseen by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), commercial drivers must already demonstrate a basic understanding of English.
However, enforcement has varied between states. Some states allowed license tests to be taken in other languages as long as the applicant showed limited English proficiency.
The new approach demands stricter and more consistent enforcement nationwide. States will now be expected to confirm that drivers can understand road signage and communicate effectively before issuing a Commercial Driving Licence (CDL).
Law enforcement officers will also assess language ability during roadside inspections.
For the Trump administration, this marks a shift from what it views as patchy oversight to direct federal pressure on states and training providers.
Why is the US government taking this step now?
The Department of Transportation says recent inspections exposed gaps in compliance. During a nationwide operation, officers conducted 8,215 language-related inspections.
Around 500 drivers were removed from service because they failed to meet the required English standard. Secretary Duffy described the trucking sector as operating for too long without consistent oversight.
He said: “For too long, the trucking industry has operated like the Wild, Wild West, where anything goes, and nobody asks any questions. The buck stops with me.
Under President Trump, my team is cracking down on every link in the trucking chain that has allowed this lawlessness to impact the safety of America’s roads.”
Officials argue that misunderstanding road signs, failing to follow police instructions or miscommunicating during hazardous material transport can increase the risk of serious accidents.
In a country where millions of tonnes of goods move daily by road, even small safety gaps can have major consequences.
How deep does the crackdown on training schools go?
The enforcement drive extends beyond drivers themselves. The FMCSA launched an intensive review of commercial driving schools listed on its national training registry.
More than 300 investigators carried out over 1,400 on-site inspections during a five-day operation. Authorities identified 550 training providers allegedly breaching federal safety standards.
Of those, 448 received notices proposing removal from the registry, while 109 voluntarily withdrew. Almost 100 schools remain under investigation.
Investigators reported serious compliance failures. Some centres lacked qualified instructors. Others used false business addresses or failed to provide proper training for hazardous materials transport.
Derek D Barrs, Administrator of the FMCSA, said: “We mobilised hundreds of investigators to visit these schools in person to ensure strict compliance with federal safety standards.
If a school isn’t using the right vehicles or if their instructors aren’t qualified, they have no business training the next generation of truckers or school bus drivers.”
The administration says this is about restoring confidence in the training pipeline, not just enforcing paperwork rules.
How does this compare with UK lorry and bus licensing rules?
In the UK, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) oversees a structured testing system that already requires English proficiency.
Commercial drivers must complete theory and practical tests in English and undertake ongoing Certificate of Professional Competence (CPC) training.
Unlike the new US measures, Britain builds language requirements directly into the testing framework rather than checking skills during roadside stops.
UK standards, therefore, rely more heavily on centralised testing controls than post-licensing enforcement.
For British logistics firms with operations in North America, the policy shift may require closer monitoring of recruitment practices and compliance processes in US branches.
What could this mean for road safety and supply chains?
The Trump driver licence plans signal a broader political message about border control, workforce standards and regulatory discipline.
In the short term, removing hundreds of drivers from service could tighten labour supply in certain regions. However, US officials argue that long-term safety improvements outweigh temporary disruption.
Freight transport underpins global trade. Any change affecting the US commercial driver workforce can influence delivery times, import flows and operating costs. UK exporters relying on US haulage networks may therefore watch developments closely.
