Tennessee bill could impact who has a CDL based on drivers' understanding of English

Описание: Tennessee's 2026 legislative session is dominated by bills focusing on immigration and enforcement. Two such bills focus on who can get a Commercial Driver's License, or CDL.

One Tennessee lawmaker is proposing a bill that would take CDL truck drivers off the road, if a law enforcement officer feels that they can't speak English well enough or understand the road signs.

But, one truck company broker says the supply chain could be affected if the bill passes.

"You're looking at possibly losing, you know, anywhere from 15 to 20% of the drivers in the network, and that could raise rates substantially."

John Ferguson, the CEO of Pivot logistics, says if a driver is pulled over and taken into custody by police, the truck full of items is deemed out of service until a new driver is flown out to that location.

He adds if the replacement driver doesn't arrive in time, the items in the truck could get thrown away.

"You're looking at 50, anywhere from 50 to $100,000 per truckload that has to be thrown away," said Ferguson.
Some drivers we spoke with say safety standards for commercial and personal drivers should be strict.

"I think it's critical that anybody who gets behind the wheel, commercial drivers or not, I expect the people that get behind the wheel to exercise proper safety," said Keith Ridgeway, a driver passing through.
He says he understands truckers have a big responsibility on the highway, but it's important for them to understand road signs.

"Anybody that's on the road has an ultimate responsibility to be able to read the traffic rules and regulations here in the United States in English, " said Ridgeway.
Cynthia Swisher, another traveler, says she gets nervous driving near large trucks on the highway. She told us she feels anxious thinking about whether truck drivers can understand road signs.

"If all we talk about is road safety and taking care of each other and trying to do the best for what for everyone we want them off the roads."
If passed, the bill would also penalize the employers of the truck drivers who are pulled over for not speaking English or understanding road signs.

The sponsor says he plans to bring an amendment before the committee when it's heard next. Its not year clear when that will be.

The federal requirement on the English language went into effect last year.

The federal government moved to withhold 40 million dollars from California for not enforcing the language requirements.
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