Two truck drivers were recently ticketed in Alabama for not speaking English while driving through the state.
The tickets were issued in DeKalb County, according to WAFF. The drivers’ names have not been released, but one was reportedly from Florida and the other from Texas.
The two drivers are among the first in Alabama to be ticketed under President Donald Trump's executive order, which mandated that all truck drivers be able to read and speak English.
“Every day, truckers perform the demanding and dangerous work of transporting the Nation’s goods to businesses, customers, and communities safely, reliably, and efficiently,” Trump stated in his order. “...They should be able to read and understand traffic signs, communicate with traffic safety, border patrol, agricultural checkpoints, and cargo weight-limit station officers. Drivers need to provide feedback to their employers and customers and receive related directions in English. This is common sense.”
English proficiency has long been a requirement for truck drivers; however, the policy has been largely unenforced for years until Trump issued the order in April.
Mark Colson, president and CEO of the Alabama Trucking Association, told WAFF, “It’s all about safety, it’s all about being able to read the rules of the road, being able to communicate with law enforcement and the general public.”
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