More than 600 truck drivers penalized in Wyoming for not speaking English during inspections

A truck driver inspection operation in the state of Wyoming detected more than 600 drivers who were unable to communicate in English, which has reignited the debate over road safety and language requirements for obtaining commercial driver's licenses (CDLs) in the United States.

According to statistics released last week by the Wyoming Highway Patrol, 676 drivers failed the mandatory English-language interview during inspections conducted in 2025. In total, officers conducted 16,676 commercial vehicle reviews that year.

The inability to communicate in English thus became the eighth most frequent infraction detected by state authorities.

Operations and presence of undocumented immigrants

In a recent three-day operation conducted by the Laramie County Sheriff's Office in southern Wyoming, authorities detained 82 commercial trucks and 32 undocumented immigrants.

These findings come amid a nationwide effort to tighten trucking industry standards, especially after several fatal accidents on U.S. highways involving truck drivers with limited English proficiency.

Driver shortage in the industry

The trucking industry faces an estimated shortage of between 60,000 and 80,000 drivers, which has led many companies to hire foreign workers. Currently, nearly one in six truck drivers in the United States is an immigrant.

Some drivers obtain their licenses in states where English requirements are more flexible.

While some companies maintain strict safety and training controls, others, especially smaller ones, hire quickly to fill vacancies, even with drivers with little experience.

Fatal accidents

One of the well-known cases occurred in 2019, when truck driver Rogel Aguilera-Mederos lost control of his brakes while driving to Denver, causing a multiple 28-vehicle crash in which four people died.

During the trial, the Cuban-born driver needed an interpreter due to his limited command of English.