US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said 9,500 commercial truck drivers have been removed from service this year for failing to meet federal English-language requirements, reports New York's FreightWaves.

Mr Duffy announced the figure in a post on X, framing the crackdown as a highway-safety initiative. He said drivers were taken off the road "for failing to speak our national language - ENGLISH" and pledged the administration would prioritise family safety. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration data shows 8,953 out-of-service violations tied to English proficiency.

The enforcement marks an escalation of the English Language Proficiency crackdown reinstated earlier this year. Border states such as Texas and Arizona report some of the highest counts, hitting bilingual fleets hardest, according to federal records.

Industry experts questioned whether the numbers reflect actual removals. Grace Maher, chief operating officer of OTR Solutions, said many entries in the FMCSA system are warnings or citations rather than formal out-of-service orders. She argued that blending the two inflates the severity of the campaign and obscures deeper structural problems in trucking.

Ms Maher noted that drivers cited for failing to demonstrate English proficiency may still be allowed to operate depending on circumstances, while formal orders halt trucks until compliance is shown. She said the difference between a citation and an out-of-service order is "black and white."

Former carrier executive Cliff Bates warned that focusing on English-language enforcement overlooks a wider crisis. He described a "new ecosystem" involving fraudulent CDLs, manipulated logging devices and foreign drivers on temporary cycles who undercut rates. Mr Bates said such practices are reshaping the trucking market.