President Trump’s executive order mandates English proficiency for truck drivers<\/a><\/p>\nThe office cited EP Trucking as an example, saying it tells prospective students that English proficiency is not necessary to complete the program and advertises its services in Spanish. <\/p>\n
The investigation also alleges several entities have falsely claimed to be a certified school and that some programs advertise accelerated training timelines as short as about 20 days, below the industry norm of three to seven weeks. The office said those actions indicate insufficient instruction and evaluation.<\/p>\n
Paxton\u2019s office said the alleged conduct violates the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and poses a significant risk to public safety. <\/p>\n
Putting non-English speakers behind the wheel of 18-wheelers in America can pose serious threats to public safety,\u201d Paxton said. \u201cMy office is thoroughly investigating these trucking schools, and I am taking this matter very seriously. I will fight to ensure that Texans are safe and that only qualified, English-speaking truckers are operating commercial vehicles on our roads.<\/p>\n
EP Texas Trucking School has physical locations in Odessa and El Paso. <\/p>\n
Trucker Certified has locations in Pampa, Amarillo, Plainview and Borger. Fast Track CDL is located in Garland. CDLCALL operates in San Antonio, and Ancora has a main office in Arlington. <\/p>\n
The attorney general\u2019s office said the schools likely send graduates to trucking companies across Texas, including major freight hubs such as Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston.<\/p>\n
EP Texas Trucking School provided the following statement:<\/p>\n
We are aware of the concerns raised and take them seriously. Our school is committed to full compliance with all applicable state and federal standards and regulations.We provide basic English instruction classes on-site, and our instructors are bilingual to support student learning and comprehension. Additionally, students are required to demonstrate English proficiency during the skills testing portion, which includes the pre-trip inspection, basic control- maneuvers, and the road test.As a professional truck driver myself, I fully understand the importance of the English language in this industry. I have personally experienced being stopped by a DOT officer and being asked questions in English, including being asked to spell the state I was coming from. One of the first questions asked was whether I spoke English. These real-world interactions reinforce the necessity for drivers to be able to communicate effectively in English while operating in interstate and regulatory environments.Our procedures align with federal safety standards, including the requirement that CDL holders must have a sufficient level of English to ensure road safety. While perfect fluency or native-level proficiency is not required, drivers must possess enough functional English to operate independently in an English-speaking environment. All skills evaluations at our school are administered in English by qualified examiners.While some students may complete their written examinations in Spanish, this is permitted under state guidelines and is outside the control of our institution.Regarding advertising, we aim to communicate effectively with the communities we serve, including Spanish-speaking individuals. Our understanding is that there are currently no specific prohibitions against advertising in Spanish. However, we remain open to guidance and will fully comply with any regulations or standards provided by the appropriate authorities.We remain confident in our processes and our commitment to safety, transparency, and regulatory compliance. We will continue to fully cooperate with any review and remain dedicated to providing high-quality training to all students.<\/p>\n
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