MASSIVE Trucker Purge Hits California Roads

California capitulated to federal pressure and finally began enforcing English language proficiency tests for commercial truckers after Governor Gavin Newsom’s resistance cost the state up to $200 million in withheld federal transportation funds.

Story Snapshot

California reversed course in December 2025, implementing roadside English proficiency tests after DOT Secretary Sean Duffy threatened to withhold $200 million in federal highway funds
The California Highway Patrol issued over 400 English language violations in January 2026 alone, a 300% increase from the 2025 monthly average, with potential license suspensions looming
DOT announced nationwide English-only CDL testing in February 2026, ending California’s practice of offering commercial driver tests in 20 different languages
More than 600 California drivers have been pulled from the roads, with approximately 17,000 non-domiciled CDL holders at risk of disqualification

Newsom’s Defiance Costs Taxpayers Millions

Governor Gavin Newsom’s prolonged resistance to enforcing federal English language proficiency requirements for commercial truck drivers resulted in the U.S. Department of Transportation withholding critical infrastructure funds from California. The federal government held back $40 million specifically for English proficiency non-enforcement and an additional $160 million related to approximately 17,000 questionable non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses. Newsom argued through official state correspondence that California’s multilingual CDL skills testing already satisfied federal safety requirements, claiming additional roadside English checks were unnecessary federal overreach. This stance ignored decades-old federal regulations requiring truckers to read road signs and communicate with law enforcement in English.

Federal Safety Crackdown Reveals Dangerous Gap

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s Operation SafeDRIVE exposed the severity of California’s lax enforcement. During 8,215 roadside inspections nationwide in 2025, federal authorities disqualified 704 commercial drivers, with nearly 500 failures attributed to English language proficiency deficiencies. California stood out as a glaring problem, with the state’s California Highway Patrol openly refusing to treat English proficiency violations as out-of-service infractions until late December 2025. The CHP publicly stated in July 2025 that roadside English enforcement was not needed, directly contradicting federal safety inspectors who were documenting approximately 70 English proficiency violations per month in California border zones. This federal safety law has existed since at least 1988 under regulation 49 CFR 391.11(b)(2), requiring drivers of 80,000-pound commercial vehicles to comprehend traffic signs and communicate effectively during emergencies.

Dramatic Policy Reversal Under Financial Pressure

California abruptly changed course on December 23, 2025, amending state regulations to adopt Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance out-of-service criteria that enabled CHP roadside English proficiency enforcement. The timing coincided directly with mounting federal financial pressure and the threat of losing desperately needed transportation infrastructure dollars. By mid-January 2026, the California DMV began sending notices to hundreds of drivers requiring English language assessments, with failures potentially resulting in commercial driver’s license suspensions. Scheduled hearings for some drivers were set as early as January 28, 2026. The enforcement surge was dramatic: CHP violations jumped from predominantly border-area citations in 2025 to statewide enforcement, with the geographic distribution shifting from 74% non-border violations in 2025 to less than 25% in early 2026.

Nationwide English-Only Mandate Ends Sanctuary State Loopholes

Secretary Duffy announced sweeping nationwide changes on February 20, 2026, mandating English-only commercial driver’s license testing for all knowledge, skills, and proficiency examinations. The new federal requirement eliminates California’s practice of offering CDL tests in 20 different languages, a policy that enabled thousands of drivers with questionable English comprehension to obtain licenses for operating massive commercial vehicles on American highways. Duffy made the Trump administration’s position clear, stating drivers who cannot speak or read English will not succeed under the new standards. The Transportation Department simultaneously shut down approximately 7,000 so-called “CDL mills” that were issuing commercial licenses without proper vetting or adherence to federal safety standards. This represents a fundamental reassertion of federal authority over states that selectively ignored longstanding transportation safety regulations to protect immigrant workforces at the expense of public safety.

The implications extend beyond California’s borders. The trucking industry moves 72% of America’s freight, and California’s ports and agricultural operations depend heavily on commercial drivers. However, industry analysts note the existing nationwide truck driver shortage of approximately 80,000 positions will likely worsen as enforcement tightens. The data from California’s post-compliance period suggests the state may now have the nation’s strictest English proficiency enforcement regime, with DMV office assessments and potential license suspensions creating consequences that extend well beyond roadside citations. This federal victory over sanctuary state resistance establishes precedent for uniform national safety standards and demonstrates the Trump administration’s willingness to use funding leverage to force blue state compliance with federal law.