As of October 21st, 494 commercial drivers have been cited and pulled off of Missouri’s roadways because they could not fluently speak English.
Capt. Scott White with the Missouri State Highway Patrol said commercial drivers have to satisfy federal English Language Proficiency (ELP) regulations in order to remain on the road.
“How we define sufficient English proficiency for the drivers is, can our officers effectively communicate with them?” White told Missourinet. “What that means is that can they understand and reply to official inquiries? Can they read and comprehend highway signs and signals, and can they complete those necessary logs and records?”
White added that using online translation apps are not sufficient.
“And also the public needs to understand that all CDL testing in Missouri, both written and practical testing, is completed in English,” he said. “The applicant cannot utilize assistance from a translator or other services during those exams.”
So what happens when a driver is found to not be able to read, write, or speak English fluently?
“If they’re not in compliance with the ELP then they are put out of service,” White said. “So, the company is contacted. Sometimes the drivers provide another driver to come get that, but that driver is prohibited from going any further down the road. And they also can be cited with a citation for that violation.”
The federal government stopped enforcing English fluency requirements in 2016 under the Obama Administration. They resumed earlier this year under an executive order by President Trump.
Copyright © 2025 · Missourinet
