By Vaina Castillo
Fox 4 KDFW
Since late June, Texas DPS has cited nearly 450 drivers for failing English requirements. Most of them were licensed in Mexico.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said from now on, DPS won’t issue intrastate licenses to anyone who can’t speak English.
As of right now, it’s not clear how that will be tested.
Federal transportation officials in Washington have already warned states that if they don’t follow that same rule, they could lose millions in funding.
The U.S. Department Of Transportation said California, Washington, and New Mexico are already on notice. They were given 30 days to comply.
"We do not want to penalize the states. We want the states to comply and to enforce the English language proficiency requirement, which is directly related not only to the safety of the citizens of their states but the citizens of all the states around all of the United States," said Jesse Ellison, the FMCSA Chief Counsel.
The Texas Trucking Association is backing the move, saying English proficiency is essential for safety.
"When drivers cannot read and understand road signs, weather alerts, or critical digital instructions near bridges, overpasses, or construction zones, it puts every motorist at risk," TXTA President and CEO John D. Esparza said in part in a statement.
Critics warn the crackdown could deepen labor shortages the trucking industry is already facing.
DPS has also been ordered to stop issuing new intrastate commercial licenses to drivers who cannot communicate in English.
Abbott is making it clear that if you are a truck driver, you must be able to speak English to drive on Texas roads. No exceptions.
The governor has directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to run zero-tolerance language checks on all commercial drivers in the state.
Texas is cracking down on truck drivers who can’t speak English. Abbott said it’s about safety, but critics worry it could hurt the trucking industry.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said from now on, DPS won’t issue intrastate licenses to anyone who can’t speak English.
As of right now, it’s not clear how that will be tested.
Federal transportation officials in Washington have already warned states that if they don’t follow that same rule, they could lose millions in funding.
The U.S. Department Of Transportation said California, Washington, and New Mexico are already on notice. They were given 30 days to comply.
"We do not want to penalize the states. We want the states to comply and to enforce the English language proficiency requirement, which is directly related not only to the safety of the citizens of their states but the citizens of all the states around all of the United States," said Jesse Ellison, the FMCSA Chief Counsel.
The Texas Trucking Association is backing the move, saying English proficiency is essential for safety.
"When drivers cannot read and understand road signs, weather alerts, or critical digital instructions near bridges, overpasses, or construction zones, it puts every motorist at risk," TXTA President and CEO John D. Esparza said in part in a statement.
Critics warn the crackdown could deepen labor shortages the trucking industry is already facing.
DPS has also been ordered to stop issuing new intrastate commercial licenses to drivers who cannot communicate in English.
Abbott is making it clear that if you are a truck driver, you must be able to speak English to drive on Texas roads. No exceptions.
The governor has directed the Texas Department of Public Safety to run zero-tolerance language checks on all commercial drivers in the state.
Texas is cracking down on truck drivers who can’t speak English. Abbott said it’s about safety, but critics worry it could hurt the trucking industry.
7 comments:
Excellent work DPS and Gov. Abbott. If you do not like it, stay in mexico. Problem solved.
FUCK the critics and FUCK Mexicans!
There's a truck driving school at TSTC in Harlingen that is ready to fill in any driver shortage.
That language Rednecks speak is NOT English. FACT.
Which is more dangerous, a driver that may not be fully proficient in English or a driver with little or no experience driving a rig weighing many tons at 70 mph? I don't know but I bet DPS or TxDOT does. I'm guessing it is the inexperienced driver or we would have seen the numbers. No state agency is going to voluntarily releases statistics that do not support the governors stance. I mean, DPS has yet to release their "investigation" into their response in Uvalde.
Exactly and also not paying illegal immigrant unfair wages. According to the moronic female President of Mexico there are plenty of jobs in Mexico.
There needs to be a provision and cut-out for the Free Trade Zones. Traffic signs are designed to be legible in any language, hence they are mostly symbols and numbers. Texas Trucking Association and Mr. Esparza (Douche Bag) carry no water here, They are the lobbyist group for special interests and have no shelter from that certainty. They are no advocate for trucking companies, as their name would suggest. They are the lap dogs tasked with intercapital collusion. Abbott needs to be primaried next cycle.
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