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US bars over 7,200 truck drivers for failing English tests; Indian-origin truckers among the worst hit
Babushahi Bureau
Washington D.C. [US], November 3, 2025: The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) has disqualified more than 7,200 commercial truck drivers nationwide this year after they failed mandatory English proficiency assessments—part of a sweeping crackdown following a string of deadly highway accidents involving Indian-origin drivers.
The announcement came from U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on October 30, marking one of the toughest enforcement actions in the trucking sector in recent years. According to official data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), a total of 7,248 drivers have been declared “out of service” in 2025 for failing real-time roadside English Language Proficiency (ELP) checks—meaning they are legally barred from operating commercial vehicles.
This represents a nearly fivefold increase from mid-year figures, when about 1,500 such disqualifications were reported nationwide.
Industry estimates suggest that a significant portion of those affected are of Indian origin—particularly Punjabi and Haryanvi drivers who dominate long-haul trucking routes across the U.S.
The North American Punjabi Truckers Association (NAPTA) estimates that between 130,000 and 150,000 Indian-origin truckers, primarily from Punjab and Haryana, are employed across the country. Many of them entered the profession through community-based recruitment networks and small fleet owners.
“While safety must always come first, this sudden crackdown has created panic in the South Asian trucking community,” said a NAPTA representative, noting that language barriers are often compounded by inconsistent testing standards at roadside inspections.
The enforcement action follows heightened public scrutiny after two high-profile fatal crashes involving Indian-origin truckers this year.
In August 2025, a semi-truck driven by Harjinder Singh, an Indian-origin driver, caused a deadly pile-up on Florida’s Turnpike, killing three people. Investigators said the truck attempted an illegal U-turn through a restricted access point before jackknifing and crushing a passenger van.
The incident quickly became politically charged after Donald Trump’s campaign team described the driver as an “illegal immigrant”, drawing sharp criticism from Indian-American advocacy groups who called the remarks “irresponsible and premature.”
More recently, in October 2025, Jaspreet Singh, a 21-year-old Punjabi-origin trucker, was charged in California with three counts of gross vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated after a high-speed crash on the 10 Freeway killed three people. Singh, who pleaded not guilty, is currently in custody without bail, with U.S. federal agencies confirming that he entered the country illegally through the southern border in 2022.
Secretary Duffy defended the government’s decision, saying that English proficiency is critical for road safety and regulatory compliance.
“Commercial drivers operating on U.S. highways must be able to understand and respond to road signs, safety warnings, and inspection protocols in English. This is non-negotiable,” Duffy said during a press briefing in Washington.
Federal regulations require all commercial vehicle operators to demonstrate proficiency in reading and speaking English well enough to converse with the public, understand highway traffic signs, and respond to official inquiries.