Florida officials are asking the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to set greater penalties for states that do not require truck drivers to learn English proficiency standards.
U.S. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy hears. He announced that if the state does not comply with federal policies, they could lose millions from their safety assistance programs.
The decision follows a tragic accident on the Florida turnpike. There, a truck driver in the United States illegally caused the deaths of three people after making an illegal U-turn. Law enforcement reported that drivers were unable to answer 10 of the 12-word questions on the proficiency test and were able to correctly identify one of four traffic signs.
Federal regulations require that commercial truck drivers in Florida must be able to read and speak English sufficiently to perform their duties safely.
Florida law allows individuals to take the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Knowledge Test to do so in English or Spanish. However, skill tests must be conducted in English.
After a fatal conflict in Florida in August 2025, law enforcement began implementing English proficiency rules more closely, and conducted field assessments at agricultural checkpoints.
Increased state security checks.
State law enforcement officials are increasingly inspecting truck drivers, primarily at various locations in the Agricultural Inspection Bureau.
State officials who speak to Florida daily say the number of truck drivers has increased to help them speak and understand English.
In light of recent tragedy in Florida, state lawmakers are expected to propose an increase in penalties for individuals and businesses that are not compliant with state and federal law when they meet in Tallahassee later this year.
“We are not permitted to issue CDLs to people who are not legally in this country. We are not permitted to issue CDLs to people who don’t understand traffic signs. This was an avoidable tragedy,” Governor Desantis said.
