Mexican, US Drivers Account for 98% of FMCSA English Violations

Mexico-domiciled truck drivers have become the primary focus of the United States’ renewed English-language enforcement, accounting for roughly half of all 27,971 violations recorded nationwide by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) in 2025.

The surge follows a major regulatory shift under President Donald Trump’s April 2025 executive order, which reinstated strict language standards for commercial drivers entering or operating within US territory. The rule, in force since June 25, 2025, once again classifies English-language deficiencies as Out-of-Service Order (OOS) violations.

Mexico: 14,000 Violations, Fewer Than 46 Suspensions

FMCSA’s Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS) reports that as of Sept. 26, 2025, Mexico-domiciled drivers had accumulated 14,078 English-language proficiency violations, distributed as follows:

All Domiciles: Broader Enforcement, Similar Trends

Across all domiciles, 27,971 violations were recorded:

• Mexico-domiciled drivers: about 14,000 (50%)
• US-domiciled drivers: about 13,900 (49%)
• Canada and Other Countries: less than 2% combined

United States: 5,000 Out-of-Service Orders

US-domiciled carriers recorded 13,795 violations, nearly matching Mexico’s total but with a significantly higher OOS rate.

The US trucking industry is racially and ethnically diverse, a factor that may partly explain the higher OOS numbers under the new enforcement regime. According to a 2023 US Department of Transportation report, 15.3% of CDL holders are Hispanic or Latino. The American Trucking Associations (ATA) added that 18.3% identify as Black, 4% as Asian, and 15.7% are immigrants, while 3.8% of drivers have limited English proficiency, reports MBN.

These demographics highlight how renewed language enforcement affects a broad cross-section of the US workforce. Drivers from immigrant backgrounds or with limited English skills are statistically more likely to face OOS actions, given the reinstated conversational and reading-comprehension requirements.

Trump Executive Order Revived English Enforcement

On April 28, 2025, US President Donald Trump signed the order “Enforcing Commonsense Rules of the Road for America’s Truck Drivers,” mandating stronger enforcement of English proficiency requirements for commercial motor vehicle (CMV) drivers.

“Proficiency in English should be a non-negotiable safety requirement. This is common sense,” says Trump.