Federal, Florida Officials Pull Non‑English‑Proficient Truckers Off Roads in Safety Crackdown

Fox News embedded with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and Florida Highway Patrol in North Florida as they ramped up enforcement of long‑standing federal rules requiring commercial truck drivers to read and speak English, documenting multiple truckers who could not read basic road signs or answer simple safety questions. Troopers at some weigh stations said as many as half of inspected drivers failed English‑proficiency requirements, leading to out‑of‑service orders and trucks being sidelined. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administrator Derek Barrs framed the crackdown as a core safety measure so that drivers carrying heavy loads at highway speeds can understand warning and traffic‑control signs, especially in emergencies or crash zones. The campaign follows a series of deadly crashes nationwide, including a Florida Turnpike wreck alleged to have been caused by Harjinder Singh, an Indian national DHS says was in the U.S. illegally, who is accused of making an illegal U‑turn in a tractor‑trailer and blocking all lanes. The article underscores how the Trump administration is tying commercial‑vehicle safety enforcement more tightly to English‑language standards and immigration status, a linkage that is already drawing strong reactions online from both highway‑safety advocates and immigrant‑rights supporters.