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Truck driving can be a straining, dangerous, and demanding job, but it is essential to keep goods moving across the country, door to door.
Chad Brown spent 20 years on the road as a truck driver, 10 of them driving alongside his wife. Now an instructor, he teaches students how to handle massive rigs and navigate tight turns.
“This isn’t just a career change; it’s a lifestyle change,” Brown said. “Some aren’t used to being away from home… It’s a special breed.”
He teaches a variety of students.
“I’ve trained people where English was difficult, from the Philippines, from Asia and all over.” he said. “I do think they need to be proficient in it.”
Roughly one in five U.S. truck drivers is foreign-born. But the new enforcement push is becoming a major hurdle.
Under the executive order, federal motor officials must now test drivers’ English proficiency during roadside stops and inspections. Drivers who fail will have their CDL removed.
It is named “Enforcing Commonsense Rules of the Road for America’s Truck Drivers,” and it has been reshaping the trucking industry as more truck drivers are losing their CDLs.
As of October 30, the U.S. Department of Transportation reported that 7,248 drivers have been placed out of service for English test failures.
At truck stops, some say the enforcement presence is apparent.
“Law enforcement was just here doing checks; that must mean something,” said truck stop worker Matthew Pierce.
Some drivers told Carolina News they believe the crackdown is needed.
“It’s driven the freight rates low. We’ve been dealing with this for 20–30 years,” one driver said.
South Carolina Trucking Association CEO Rick Todd says the industry is still in the middle of a three-year freight recession, and that added stress is mounting.
“Those still in business, fighting to make it through the recession; they don’t want non-compliant competitors,” Todd said.
At the same time, the U.S. faces a long-standing truck driver shortage, and the industry estimates a gap of 60,000 to 80,000 drivers for 2025.
It’s a gap that ripples down the supply chain.
“We need to eliminate the inconsistency and keep standards the same throughout,” says Todd, “Varying enforcement rules just aren’t fair to the supply chain.”
At training ranges like SAGE Truck Driving School, the next wave of drivers is learning the basics, from reading signs to maneuvering an 80,000-pound truck.
SAGE not only teaches students the fundamentals but also brings in companies to recruit directly, helping address the shortage.
“They’re really thorough. They recruit a lot,” Brown said.
But ultimately, Brown believes it comes down to solid instruction and patience.
“You can’t control what happens once they’re out there,” he said. “But at least you give them a solid ground here.”
He recalls helping one student with broken English by having him write down instructions and understand them better by translating them into his native language.
“As it went on… his training went great,” said Brown. “Now he’s in California. He’s been truck driving ever since. He loves it.”
Despite the crackdowns and economic pressures, the wheels of the trucking industry aren’t stopping anytime soon, as everyone depends on it.