English-Speaking Order Goes into Effect: What’s Next for OTR Trucking?

By A.J. DeGroot, Vice President of Operations, Mariner Logistics 

On May 20, 2025, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy signed an official order ordering federal inspectors to remove from the road any commercial truck drivers who cannot demonstrate English proficiency. This enforcement action is in line with President Trump’s executive order, which he signed a month earlier on April 28, titled Enforcing Commonsense Rules of the Road for America’s Truck Drivers. The policy itself went into full effect nationwide on June 25, 2025, reinstating out-of-service penalties that had been relaxed under the previous administration.

Requirements for truck drivers to speak and read English are nothing new, but the penalties for failing to meet those standards are now far tougher. Inspectors will no longer simply issue citations for drivers who can’t follow directions or read highway signs; under the new DOT guidance, drivers will be immediately removed from service if they fail an on-the-spot two-step English assessment.

While on the surface, this may seem like a narrow language requirement, the implications run far deeper. This renewed enforcement is part of a broader push to tighten accountability, bolster safety, and close dangerous gaps in carrier vetting across the over-the-road (OTR) trucking industry. As someone who oversees day-to-day operations at Mariner Logistics, I see this directive not only as a move to make our highways safer but as a wake-up call for stronger compliance and better tools to verify exactly who’s hauling your freight.

Language Enforcement Highlights Deeper Safety Issues 

The new policy reinstates the strict out-of-service penalty that had been eased in 2016, when drivers found lacking in English skills could receive a citation but still stay behind the wheel. Starting June 25, that loophole closes. Drivers will now undergo a two-step roadside evaluation, beginning with an English-only interview and, if necessary, a Highway Traffic Sign Assessment. Using interpreters, cue cards, or translation apps is explicitly barred, removing workarounds that once masked real gaps in driver readiness.

Transportation Secretary Duffy put it plainly: “A driver who cannot understand English will not drive a vehicle in this country. Period. Full stop.” While many in the industry support the push, some advocacy groups and driver associations have voiced concern about how these checks will be enforced fairly, warning that drivers with accents or limited fluency could be targeted or unfairly sidelined.

Groups like the Sikh Coalition warn about the potential for inconsistent roadside checks and unfair targeting of drivers based on accents or appearance. As Mannirmal Kaur, a policy manager for the coalition, told NBC News: “Is it someone who has an accent or maybe someone who wears a turban?”

Yet the core risk remains unchanged: if brokers, shippers, and carriers can’t quickly confirm that the person behind the wheel is who they claim to be — and is qualified — the entire supply chain stays exposed to fraud, theft, and preventable safety breakdowns.

As Michael Caney, Chief Commercial Officer at our partner Highway, says: “Fraud thrives because the industry hasn’t solved the identity problem. Verify who’s hauling your freight, and risks plummet.”

A Surge in Freight Fraud and Cargo Theft

This renewed focus on safety comes at a critical moment. According to a 2024 Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) report, freight fraud costs the industry an estimated $800 million per year. One of the biggest culprits? Double brokering, where criminals pose as legitimate carriers, steal loads, and vanish.

Cargo theft is rising, too. CargoNet reported a 46% increase in theft incidents between 2022 and 2024, with the average loss per theft nearing $250,000. These aren’t isolated events; they’re systemic weaknesses being exploited.

Weak carrier vetting enables this. Scammers use stolen MC numbers or fake email domains to infiltrate broker systems. In one case, a fraudster used a Gmail address to secure a $100,000 load, then disappeared, leaving the broker and shipper holding the bag.

Add to that the ongoing misuse of B-1 visas by foreign drivers illegally hauling domestic U.S. freight. These drivers often accept lower wages, undercutting lawful operators while bypassing proper qualifications and safety standards. “I can’t compete with B-1 drivers taking less pay, ” a fuel hauler in South Texas said. 

But this isn’t just a pricing issue. When drivers operate under the radar, outside the scope of legal vetting and compliance frameworks, the safety risks ripple across the entire freight ecosystem. Inadequate vetting allows these operators to slip through the cracks, exposing shippers, brokers, and the public to unqualified drivers hauling high-value or hazardous loads.

A 2022 report from the Congressional Research Service confirmed that B-1 visa misuse in trucking is a persistent concern, flagging enforcement difficulties and regulatory gray areas that allow unauthorized operations to persist. As Bob Costello, Chief Economist at the American Trucking Association, cautions: “Using B-1 drivers for domestic loads is illegal; it’s why the market’s suffering.”

Vetting Is the Industry's Best Defense

Robust vetting slams the door on fraud and bolsters safety. At Mariner, we use Highway’s advanced tools to flag suspicious patterns, such as mismatched email domains or fleets with unusually high inspection rates, preventing unqualified carriers from accessing our freight and saving time, money, and risk.

This approach is increasingly being adopted across the logistics industry. Craig Allan, security lead at BWS Logistics, observed that “crime syndicates are incredibly sophisticated” and says proactive vetting at onboarding is critical to distinguish legitimate carriers from cleverly disguised fraud rings. Similarly, TA’s partnership with Highway identified over 1,200 carriers that failed to meet basic compliance standards before operations.

Bill McDermott, Senior Investigator at Uber Freight, explains how tech-powered vetting has slashed fraud in their network by 60%. “We assess the quality of carriers through systematic vetting processes and compliance requirements and continually monitor performance.” These examples show that digital vetting platforms aren’t just a best practice; they’re fast becoming the standard frontline against freight fraud.

Moving Forward: Accountability and Innovation

This new enforcement policy shows that the OTR industry can’t afford to treat safety and vetting as routine paperwork. They are essential safeguards that protect drivers, cargo, and every family sharing the highway. The FMCSA’s directive, backed by Trump’s order and Duffy’s clear message, proves these rules now come with real, immediate consequences

For drivers and carriers, this is a call to tighten compliance and prove qualifications before problems hit the road. For shippers and brokers, it is a reminder that fraud prevention and proper vetting aren’t just best practices, they are the backbone of a safe, resilient supply chain.

Strong vetting stops fraud before it starts, but trust keeps it from returning. If we want safer highways and stronger supply chains, we need to choose transparency over shortcuts and stay committed to knowing exactly who is behind the wheel. The promise we make today will keep freight, drivers, and communities safer tomorrow.