Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy Announces Big Rig Drivers Will Only Be Allowed to Take CDL Test in English



Dustin Franz/Bloomberg via Getty Images

by Elizabeth Weibel 23 Feb 2026

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced that as part of a crackdown on unvetted foreign truck drivers, people will only be allowed to take their commercial driver’s license (CDL) test in English.

During a press briefing on Friday, Duffy pointed out that under the Biden administration, millions of people were allowed to enter the United States illegally, and that these people thought “a great way” for them to earn a living was to drive trucks.

Duffy also spoke about how, not only did the Biden administration not “enforce English proficiency rules,” but some states issued “driver’s licenses illegally.” Duffy also stated that former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg “decided there shouldn’t be any rigorous requirements to certify that a school is well-qualified to train drivers.”

“If you can’t proficiently speak English, right now, we’ll take you out of the rig,” Duffy stated. “What we’re going to do in the future, is ask states to disqualify your license.”

Duffy continued to point out that in states such as California, people are able “take the drivers test, the skills test, and the proficiency test” in about 20 other languages.

“What we’re doing is implementing a rule that will say there’s one language in which you can take your test,” Duffy said. “It’s English only.”

Secretary Sean Duffy


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BIG ANNOUNCEMENT on new plans to secure our roads and crackdown on illegal truckers, including:

REQUIRING English only tests
MODERNIZING an ironclad registration system
CRACKING DOWN on fraud
STRENGTHENING driver safety

American families deserve safe roads and

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https://twitter.com/i/status/2024958248671994359

4:24 PM · Feb 20, 2026

Duffy’s announcement comes as the Department of Transportation (DOT) previously ended a “loophole” that allowed migrant truck drivers to obtain a CDL.

Breitbart News reported that the regulation that ended the loophole prevents “foreign drivers who have not been subject to consular and interagency screening” from getting their CDLs:

The “reforms will address safety concerns by preventing foreign drivers who have not been subject to consular and interagency screening” from receiving a license to drive an 18-wheeler, said a Wednesday press release.

The press release noted that “while U.S. drivers are subject to strict checks through national databases for past violations,” states lacked “the ability to access the driving records” of migrants and illegal aliens attempting to get their CDLs.

The announcement from Duffy also comes after “two fatal Indiana crashes” occurred, which reportedly involved illegal migrants, according to News Nation.

https://www.breitbart.com/immigratio...st-in-english/