President Donald Trump has just signed a new executive order requiring all commercial truck drivers to have English communication skills and pass a literacy test. This move aims to improve road safety but has sparked widespread controversy.

The policy requires:

  • English proficiency requirement: All commercial truck drivers must be able to read road signs, communicate with law enforcement officers, and fill out necessary reports and logs.
  • Revocation of lenient guidance: The Transportation Secretary must revoke previous guidance that relaxed English requirements, ensuring that drivers who violate the rules face suspension.
  • Review of license issuance: Review the states' issuance of non-local commercial driver's licenses to ensure the legality and validity of driver qualifications.

The president stated: "American truck drivers are the pillars of our economy and national security. Ensuring they have the necessary communication skills is a basic requirement for road safety."

In response to this executive order, Todd Spencer, chairman of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), said: "Basic English skills are crucial for reading critical road signs, understanding emergency instructions, and interacting with law enforcement officers. We strongly support this decision."

However, podcast host Brian Allen sarcastically commented: "Amid bridge collapses and rampant inflation, the government prioritizes focusing on drivers' accents."

A trucking immigrant driver also criticized the policy, stating it "carries obvious racial undertones."

Although federal regulations have long required commercial drivers to have English proficiency, enforcement has varied in practice. This executive order aims to strengthen the enforcement of these requirements. However, how to implement this policy without infringing on civil rights will be a challenge.

According to data from the U.S. Department of Transportation, Asian truck drivers account for approximately 3.7% of the total number of truck drivers nationwide. Although the proportion is not high, in regions such as California and New York where Chinese communities are concentrated, the number of Chinese truck drivers is significant. During the pandemic, the U.S. trucking industry experienced its heyday, almost making millions every day, as the industry had low education requirements, relatively low entry barriers, and high income, attracting many Chinese people to obtain licenses and switch careers.

There was once a viral couple who posted videos online about how easy it was to earn over $200,000 a year as truck drivers.

This couple in their 80s said that before they used to sell snacks in Northeast China, worked as waiters in Beijing, and did beauty massages in Russia. Starting in 2021, they became truck drivers in the U.S., now taking turns driving each month, earning more than 100,000 RMB easily.

In their sharing, they mentioned that the threshold for trucks is not high, but one must have either a work permit or a green card. They once nearly fell off an overpass due to lack of experience, experiencing particularly dangerous life-and-death situations.

However, with the end of the pandemic, the prosperity of the trucking industry has faded. Many Chinese drivers who switched careers expressed that business is becoming increasingly difficult.

Now that the Trump administration has increased the requirement for English communication skills, this poses a significant challenge for Chinese drivers whose native language is not English. In particular, some older drivers may face unemployment risks due to insufficient language skills.

Experts believe that to meet the new policy requirements, Chinese drivers may need to take additional English training courses, increasing both time and economic costs.

At the same time, previous studies have pointed out that Chinese truck drivers are prone to mental health issues due to long working hours and social isolation. This new policy may further exacerbate their psychological pressure.

It seems that the career path of being a truck driver in the U.S. will become less common for Chinese people in the future.

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7498872903790772788/

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