English-only trucking test could shrink driver pool, raise shipping costs
S. 2114 — Commercial Motor Vehicle English Proficiency Act · Filed by Roger Marshall (R-KS) · 2 cosponsors · Introduced Jun 18, 2025 · Referred to committee
Your members of Congress
Enter a ZIP to see where your representative and both senators stood on this bill.
Looked up on this device — your ZIP is never stored on our servers.
What it does
This bill requires that commercial driver's license (CDL) applicants demonstrate English-language proficiency and prohibits CDL knowledge tests from being administered in any language other than English, effective 2 years after enactment. Applicants must be able to read traffic signs, communicate with law enforcement and border agents, and give/receive directions in English. The Department of Transportation must update its regulations to implement these requirements by the 2-year deadline.
Why we flagged it
The bill amends federal CDL testing standards to mandate English-language proficiency and prohibit non-English test administration. It is a regulatory requirement change affecting commercial motor vehicle operator certification, not a commemorative or appropriations measure.
What the text implies
- The 2-year implementation window may create a transition period where existing non-English-proficient drivers remain licensed, potentially creating a two-tier system until compliance deadlines pass.
- Prohibition on non-English test administration may disproportionately affect immigrant and non-native English-speaking drivers, potentially reducing the pool of eligible CDL applicants and affecting labor supply in trucking and transportation sectors.
The full analysis lists 5 implications of this text.
Who stands to gain
Commercial driver training schools (English-language instruction providers); Testing and certification vendors; Domestic trucking companies (reduced competition from immigrant drivers)