Expert: English bill to have little effect on Arizona trucking

(The Center Square) – A new bill seeking to require an English proficiency test for people applying for a commercial driver license would “likely have minimal direct impact” on Arizona’s trucking industry, according to Tony Bradley, the CEO of the Arizona Trucking Association.He added that as currently written, House Bill 2443 “may conflict with existing federal CDL standards, which could create compliance concerns or risk federal funding in the future.”
“Arizona must remain in conformity with federal commercial driver license (CDL) standards to avoid jeopardizing federal highway funding or program certification,” Bradley said, answering The Center Square’s questions by email.
HB 2443 would require CDL applicants to take an English proficiency exam in reading, speaking, writing and listening.
Bradley said the bill “addresses an area already covered under existing federal law.”
“English language proficiency has long been a federal driver qualification requirement,” the CEO added.
And Arizona “already operates under the federal CDL framework,” Bradley explained.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said nearly 10,000 CDL drivers were taken off the road last year after failing English proficiency checks.
Bradley said Arizona saw 663 violations of federal law that require a “driver be able to read and speak English sufficiently to converse with the general public, understand highway traffic signs and signals, respond to official inquiries, and make entries on reports and records.”
The CEO noted this represented “approximately 1.21% of all violations and 4.68% of out-of-service violations.”
Bradley said another 686 violations of the federal law occurred in the border commercial zone, which represented 1.26% of violations. The border commercial zone extends up to 75 miles into Arizona from the southern border.
In 2026, there have been 56 violations and 33 in the border commercial zone, Bradley noted.
“While not widespread, the issue is measurable and documented. To the best of my knowledge, we do not know how many of these violations were from Arizona drivers,” he explained.
Last week, the Department of Transportation announced that CDL tests will be conducted in English.
The Arizona Trucking Association supports “the concept of a standardized English language proficiency assessment” at the federal level, Bradley said.
He added that “English language proficiency requirements have existed in federal motor carrier regulations since the 1930s.”
“The purpose is straightforward: Drivers operating large commercial vehicles must be able to understand traffic control devices, emergency instructions, roadside inspections and safety communications,” Bradley explained.
Rather than Arizona creating new standards at the state level, the CEO told The Center Square that the most effective approach is to create a “uniform federal proficiency assessment at the time a CDL is issued.”
“Ensuring that drivers demonstrate English proficiency before licensure would provide clarity, consistency and fairness nationwide,” Bradley said.
At the federal level, Bradley said his organization supports standards that include “proficiency requirements for the written exam, English comprehension testing during the skills exam, road sign recognition and understanding and verbal communication assessment.”

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