Pennsylvania lawmakers are turning up the heat to get unsafe truck drivers off the road.<\/p>\n
Federal law already says truck drivers must know enough English to read road signs and follow directions. But for most of the past decade, drivers who didn\u2019t meet that standard were allowed to stay on the road.<\/p>\n
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association<\/a> pushed to bring back penalties a year ago. Soon after, President Donald Trump signed an order to restore the rule<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance<\/a> followed up by bringing back penalties for truck drivers who don\u2019t meet the requirement.<\/p>\n Now, lawmakers from Wyoming<\/a> to Alabama<\/a> are jumping in. They are writing those same federal rules into state law.<\/p>\n More states<\/a> are lining up to do the same.<\/p>\n English proficiency crackdown<\/p>\n Pennsylvania is in the mix. Lawmakers there are pushing bills to deal with concerns about truck drivers\u2019 English proficiency.<\/p>\n The push comes after a warning last November from Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy<\/a>. He said the federal government could pull back $75 million if the state doesn\u2019t fix issues with non-domiciled CDLs.<\/p>\n The Pennsylvania Senate Transportation Committee met this week on the issue. One bill they approved would require English proficiency for all testing tied to operating a large truck.<\/p>\n Right now, Pennsylvania only offers road tests in English. SB1295<\/a> would also require that written tests be given only in English.<\/p>\n CDL manuals could still be offered in other languages.<\/p>\n Committee Chairwoman Judy Ward, R-Blair, is leading the bill. She said the state needs to close loopholes that allow unqualified drivers to get behind the wheel.<\/p>\n She added that the bill would not eliminate the state\u2019s non-domiciled CDL rule.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are embracing immigrant, commercial drivers who are lawfully present and can safely operate a heavy truck load around cars, bicycles, and pedestrians,\u201d Ward said.<\/p>\n The truck driver bill awaits further Senate action.<\/p>\n Out-of-service penalties<\/p>\n The committee also backed another bill that would hit harder on out-of-service violations \u2013 like driving a large truck without meeting proficiency standards.<\/p>\n First-time offenders would be benched for one year. Repeat offenders could be banned from driving for good.<\/p>\n Companies and contractors that use truck drivers who don\u2019t meet the requirement could face $3,000 fines.<\/p>\n Sen. Devlin Robinson, R-Bridgeville, said it\u2019s unacceptable for anyone, whether they\u2019re illegal immigrants or American citizens, to ignore safety laws and put others at risk.<\/p>\n \u201cDriving commercial vehicles is a responsibility not to be taken lightly, and obtaining a CDL is a privilege that should only be awarded to those who meet the strongest standards,\u201d Robinson said.<\/p>\n SB1296<\/a> is moving to another committee before heading to the Senate floor.<\/p>\n CDL mills<\/p>\n Another bill would drop the hammer on unqualified CDL training providers \u2013 often called \u201cCDL mills.\u201d<\/p>\n