CVSA adding English Language Proficiency to Out of Service Criteria

And just as predicted..ACLU files suit.

“The case is currently pending, and the outcome will determine whether the executive order can be implemented as intended or if it needs to be revised to address the ACLU's concerns.”

Wonder how many states are going to just wait for the outcome before risking more lawsuits.

 

I’m sure the ACLU will say something about how the order will disproportionately affect non-English speakers or some other nonsense like that.

Maybe the driver should get put out of service but then the company gets a fine for hiring a driver who doesn’t meet CFR 391.11(b)(2)? Maybe that’s the way to go.

 

The way I understand it is that the violation was put on an inspection report and the carrier had to rectify it.

 

Just as Canada is bilingual with English & French, the U.S.A. will probably be bilingual with English & Spanish, probably making both the English & Spanish languages the official languages of the U.S.A..

God bless every American and their families! God bless the U.S.A.!

The absolute sheer driving force of our national economy - without truck drivers, our entire national economy would come to an absolute standstill - if not outright be dead.

Over the mountains, through the woods, into the valleys, coast to coast, from sea to shining sea - truck drivers can and do go anywhere and everywhere, every day, every night, all year round.

 

I could see Arabic, Hindi, Mandarin added to that equation too.

 

They have primarily spoken French in Quebec since its beginning. Their in lies the difference.


If speaking reading and understanding English isnt going to make any difference in the US. Adding official languages other than English aren’t going to help it either. Adding more signs in these languages isn’t going to help.

 

Yeah no kidding!

How about Germany then? I've seen lots of videos of germanys highways... I wouldn't want to drive a car there... let alone a CMV. Cause it's all gibberish to me.

 

I’m not driving no where I can’t speak, read, communicate effectively.


I would like to take an opptunity to say I was being facetious in the quoted comment.

 

If common sense was still common place... training wouldn't be such an issue.

To those that been on the road 30 to 50 years... or were on the road back then... how were you trained?

I myself have never taken any classes, schooling, or training of any official capacity. I learned to throw gears on the ranch and farm as a child at 7 years of age. Then worked the harvest driving trucks of all kinds and sizes as a teenager and into my 20s.

In my 30s I decided to get my CDL so I could haul cattle outside the 150 mile ag exempt range of the farm. I simply studied the cdl manual for about a week took the written tests (in english) passed all that I wanted (everything for class A with doubles/triples and tanker) the first attempt. Scheduled the drive test for a week later, borrowed a truck from the farm, passed first attempt with only very small minor deductions. That was in 2013.

In 2017 I decided to go OTR. Got in touch with a family friend who owns a very successful family trucking company that dates back to the late 70s or early 80s. He had me pee in a cup, handed me the keys, a log book, said there's tour truck, there's your preloaded trailer, follow him and pointed to another driver.

I followed that man 1700 miles across the country to our delivery point, at which time we parted ways. I was left to my own devices to find my way to my reload, and then back across the country to deliver, then to another reload, and back to the main terminal. I did this all with little to no problems as a small town country bumkin with ZERO "training" or anything that even resembles what passes as training in this industry.

I run for that company for 5 years, then took about 3 years off the road to be with my young family, and have just in the last 45 days gotten back in a truck for that company again to run OTR. I will probably surpass 1,000,000 accident free miles within the next 2.5 years, and I've only ever had 1, yes ONE, minor incident which was deemed NON Preventable. Never tore up any Equipment, regardless of who owned it, never had a citation, never had a DOT violation.

Well Cattleman, how were you able to do it???

I've got a head on my shoulders, with Grey matter between my ears, and I actually use it. On that very first OTR rub I relied completely on my ability to think, plan, READ ENGLISH roads signs and maps, and I made it happen and did so safely. And I have been very successful as a driver ever since. All this to say... I used my God given COMMON SENSE, and knowledge of the ENGLISH LANGUAGE... and I still do every single day out here.

Training has almost ZERO to do with the amount of unsafe or safe operators in this industry... COMPETENCY and COMMON SENSE are where the focus needs to be. Many, many, many of the drivers on the road today should have been weeded put before even opening a CDL manual. PERIOD!!!!!

Edit: I'd like to add... the ability to take action appropriately, calmly, and swiftly under adverse circumstances is also very important in this industry... how many times have we seen accidents that could have easily been prevented if the driver would have kept a cool head and remained decisive, instead of panicking?

The Aurora, CO accident several years ago comes to mind. He had plenty of opportunity to act decisively... right up to the point he steered his rig into traffic. "I thought I was going to die..." even at that moment he could have steered off the road into the overpass embuttment.