If drivers need to know English…

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by BeHereNow97, May 6, 2025.

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  1. AModelCat

    AModelCat Road Train Member

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    IMO if you can't communicate effectively in the language the majority of a country speaks then you should not be allowed to work in higher risk occupations. If I yell at a worker to move because they're in imminent danger and they can't understand me then that's it, they're dead or injured.
     
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  2. Knightcrawler

    Knightcrawler Road Train Member

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    Doesnt matter how the country started.

    Honestly.

    When the country started it was built on slavery. The country has evolved. The constitution has evolved.

    How EXACTLY is limiting CDL holders to english going to make the roads safer? As I already said, traffic laws are pretty much the same the world over.

    Would it be easier? Sure. Well, maybe....

    Ever get into a dock and had to wait for Pedro to go get the guy that speaks english?

    Ever talk to a broker that you could barely understand through his east european accent?

    How EXACTLY is limiting them to english going to make things safer?

    It wont. Its an anti-immigration issue. Should we just start forcing them to wear yellow stars now?

    Because that is where this road leads - - - eventually.
     
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  3. AModelCat

    AModelCat Road Train Member

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    If you can't speak the language of the land you probably can't read it either.
     
  4. Knightcrawler

    Knightcrawler Road Train Member

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    Very few people cant speak a word of any given language. For example, ever say the word "meow" to a cat? You have just said the Egyptian word for cat. So you speak Egyptian.

    Directions is easy, you follow google maps. Road signs are pretty much universal. Thats why MOST road signs are pictures now. Are there exceptions? Sure. All trucks stop at the top and check breaks for example. That would be a good one to know. Chain law in effect. Another good one. But all of that can be translated on your phone. Doesnt take long to understand what foreign signs mean. Really, it doesnt. Its mostly common sense.

    My dog can do about 90% of what I do (or at least she thinks she can).
     
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  5. AModelCat

    AModelCat Road Train Member

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    Ok go over to Saudi Arabia, Japan or China and try and figure out all those symbols on the signs while trying to pilot a truck down the road. Don't complain if you get fined for being off-route or get jacked up on a weight restricted bridge or stuck under an overpass.
     
  6. Knightcrawler

    Knightcrawler Road Train Member

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    And how long would you have to be in that country before either you figure it out of someone tells you?

    Not long.

    How long did it take you to figure that stuff out when you first started driving?

    Probably just as long...

    Give me someone that has been driving in another country that doesnt read english before you give me a driver right out of school ANY day.

    Now people that dont read english in a CDL school is another matter....
     
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  7. bryan21384

    bryan21384 Road Train Member

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    You've laid it out better than I ever have in previous threads. It's all about anti-immigration(the best phrase to describe th is administration's motives), it's just under the guise of safety.
     
  8. Folk Fries

    Folk Fries Light Load Member

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    What's funny is that if someone nitpicked this statement the same way you are using it to nitpick here you could both be as useful to humanity as a laser pointer is to cats.
     
  9. Knightcrawler

    Knightcrawler Road Train Member

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    I just googled (feel free to check me) how many crashes caused by driver not reading english:

    While there isn't a specific national database tracking crashes solely due to a driver's lack of English reading ability, there are examples of crashes where this factor contributed to the outcome. Several sources highlight how limited English proficiency can be a significant safety hazard for commercial truck drivers, particularly regarding their ability to understand road signs and instructions.

    Now Im going to inject my opinion on this. This is ONLY MY opinion.
    They dont track the number because that number is too low to waste time trying to count. Meaning, its a non-issue. Its noise by a politician to deflect from some issue to get people to focus on another issue. Its a magic trick. Sleight of hand. Keep your eye on the shiny coin.
     
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  10. Tb0n3

    Tb0n3 Road Train Member

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    @Knightcrawler
    You are aware AI makes things up all the time, right? It's the lazy man's research method and the lazy man also never double checks things that agree with them. I've seen it make up people and history and it has a track record of making up laws and court cases too.
     
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