Concerns Mount Over English Proficiency Mandate for Drayage Truckers From Mexico
Increased U.S. scrutiny of Mexican truck drivers' English-speaking proficiency is raising concerns within the drayage industry that drivers who cross the U.S. border and perform drayage within a limited distance from the border will be prevented from doing their jobs.
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That's because of a State Department directive, issued Sept. 1, directing the U.S. consulate in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, to conduct the immigration portion of the visa interview in English. If the applicant fails to correctly answer at least 80% of the questions in English, the visa is denied.
Drayage drivers from Mexico who regularly cross the border to drop off cargo have historically been exempt from this kind of requirement. According to May 2025 policy guidance from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, FMCSA enforcement personnel conducting inspections may cite drivers operating within border commercial zones for violating regulatory provisions requiring sufficient English proficiency, but they may not place the driver out of service or initiate an action that would disqualify the driver.
The drayage industry is concerned that the consulate may not follow FMCSA's policy guidance.
"This change has created a significant challenge for Port Laredo operations. Our port is unique in that it relies heavily on drayage drivers to move loads across the border between the U.S. and Mexico. These drivers operate strictly within the border zone and do not travel over the road in the U.S.," said Jerry Maldonado, chairman of the board for the Laredo Motor Carriers Association, in an email to International Trade Today. He noted that on average, drayage drivers handle approximately 70% of Laredo’s daily commercial crossings, amounting to over 16,000 crossings per day.
Maldonado says his group is asking that drayage drivers be granted an exemption from the English-only interview requirement and for the practice to return to what conditions were like before Sept. 1.
"The Laredo Motor Carriers Association fully supports the federal English proficiency mandate for over-the-road drivers and encourages all carriers to ensure compliance," Maldonado said. "However, drayage drivers serve a distinct and essential function within the border zone and should not be subject to the same language requirements as long-haul drivers."
The effect of the English proficiency requirement is being studied by the freight transportation industry. Lindsay Bur, director of data science and economics for the American Trucking Associations, said "the number of ELP violations resulting in an out-of-service citation has increased following the rule change in June," according to Department of Transportation data.
However, "the impact on cross-border trade will be limited, as these violations are not enforced in the border commercial zone," Bur said.
At the Western Cargo conference in Rancho Mirage, California, earlier this month, a representative of the customs brokers association for San Diego said that the trade community in San Diego is aware of the shortage of Mexican truck drivers able to travel cross-border due to U.S. government mandate requiring truck drivers to speak English, recent visa denials and a broader trend reflecting a disinterest in the profession (see 2510100033), although these trends' effect on cross-border drayage wasn't named specifically.
The English that drayage drivers from Mexico need to know has historically included topics around trucking, such as the weight of the product and what cargo is being hauled, Maldonado said in a phone interview.
But there is concern that when drivers' visas are up for renewal, the U.S. consulate will ask the driver non-work-related questions in English and expect answers in English, he said.
"If you still have an active [visa] for the next two years, you're good. ... But the ones whose visas have expired since Sept. 1, or the ones whose visas expire in a month, they have to go renew it. Now they're being asked questions. That's the part that's concerning," Maldonado said. Requiring a certain level of English proficiency may also discourage current and future drivers from the profession, he added.
The State Department didn't respond to a request for comment by press time. But Maldonado says his association has contacted congressional representatives over the issue.
"We support that every over-the-road driver that leaves Laredo and goes to Toledo, Ohio, or Nashville, Tennessee, or Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is able to communicate and abides by the rules and regulations." The request to honor the status quo per FMCSA is for the border zone, Maldonado said.