Should Truck Drivers in the US be Required to Speak English?
Posted by Tricky_Big_8774@reddit | Truckers | View on Reddit | 62 comments
Take on the law/requirement that is a bit more thought out than "hurr, durr, brown man bad."
Infamous_Towel_5251@reddit
I can't believe this is even a question anyone takes seriously.
Yes, CDL holders should be able to speak and read English fluently to be licensed.
I would also take it a step further and say a person should also be a US citizen who has been a legally licensed driver on US roads for at least 5 years.
aliendigenous@reddit
Why
Infamous_Towel_5251@reddit
Because it is not safe for a non-English proficient person to drive on our roads.
Because trucking is a job any US citizen can be taught to do, so there is absolutely no reason a foreigner should be doing this job.
Because having experience driving on US roads in a passenger vehicle before taking on a multi ton death machine just makes sense.
aliendigenous@reddit
Because they need to drive in english? You know they drive where they are from also right? If they get their CDL whats the proble.. why do you care how they communicate? Any job in the us can be done by a citizen/non-citizen. The status is not a learning permit. So you dont have a valid reason. Didnt think so.
Infamous_Towel_5251@reddit
Took me a minute to realize you're just here trolling.
aliendigenous@reddit
Because i didn't agree with your BS?
Infamous_Towel_5251@reddit
If you're question is legit and you're too stupid to understand why fluency in the country's language and familiarity with the roads is essential for a commercial driver no one can help you.
aliendigenous@reddit
Well, yes, obviously. I tell every immigrant i meet " learn english, takes a year " but you dont need to speak english to drive. Like i said, if they got a license legally and got a CDL. Why does it matter if they speak english or not if deaf people can do it?
You must be too stupid to answer this simple question. I thought you had something here.
planetbuster@reddit
youre not a very good troll, ya know..
aliendigenous@reddit
Good answer you moron
BRICH999@reddit
google Russian road signs and honestly, how many would you understand? half? 30%? when it says "road closed construction ahead detour here" how do you know what to do if it looks like *%&*(&*(% to you? what hand gestures would you use to communicate a fire risk due to dangerous chemicals or equipment malfunction? what do you do when an apparent police officer pulls you over? what is a blue circle with a red x even mean?
communication is important, not being able to communicate is dangerous. simple as that.
aliendigenous@reddit
Like i said, if they got a license and got cdl, whats the problem.
TheGreatHumungous@reddit
That's perfect. The youngest possible driver, assuming a 16-year-old start, would be 21, and hopefully have learned some shit. Like how to read English, or drive on snow. Or not be super creepy incels around women.
Infamous_Towel_5251@reddit
It stuns me that this is even controversial in any way.
CLETrucker@reddit
It's unfortunate that this has become an issue "about race". The law requires that all commercial drivers be able to read and speak English. If a person, no matter the race, is unable to read warning signs on the road or the contents of a bill of lading, they pose a very serious safety hazard for everyone on the road. In the US we only use English on the highways. The law has been that way for a very long time. Imagine an accident occurs or a trailers brakes catch fire, will the driver be able to tell anyone about the 900lbs of flammable hazmat on the trailer? Does the driver even know about the hazmat?
The only valid race argument would be that only people of color are being targeted by law enforcement. I don't have the data to say that is accurate or false. All I can say to that is, I hope that is not the case because a non English speaking white person is equally dangerous.
Anyway that's my two cents, the law is not racist, however the enforcement of it could be, but isn't necessarily.
Tricky_Big_8774@reddit (OP)
That's his main point. It doesn't even matter how well you can drive the truck. If there is an emergency situation and you can't communicate, then things become even more dangerous.
CLETrucker@reddit
It's the thumbnail of his video. At no point does the guy say anything remotely related to race. In fact the only personal thing he says is "some Russian guy". I bet most people just look at the thumbnail and make their comments. Also, here. People see the thumbnail, it's very race bait...
kc_acme@reddit
speak it and read it !!!
PhoenixSmasher@reddit
10 minutes into the video: "The trucking industry is facing a MASSIVE truck driver shortage."
Opinion dismissed.
Tricky_Big_8774@reddit (OP)
So one bad opinion invalidates everything else?
PhoenixSmasher@reddit
There is no truck driver shortage in the US. Any argument based around that is already off to a bad start.
Tricky_Big_8774@reddit (OP)
He didn't base his argument around that at all. His main point was it doesn't matter how good you are driving a truck if you can't communicate in an emergency situation.
Eric_The_Jewish_Bear@reddit
Why is America the only country in the world that's just expected to house an indefinite number of people that refuse to assimilate for an indefinite amount of time
stephenbmx1989@reddit
I know Mexicans that have been here for 20 years and can’t read or speak any English lol
Infamous_Towel_5251@reddit
Then they should either learn or leave.
stephenbmx1989@reddit
💯
Big-Pound-5634@reddit
Time to tell them their vacations in USA are OVER and send them back.
Big-Pound-5634@reddit
Nah, Europe is the same way. Somehow we, a place with 700 mill people, that is packed like hell already, are supposed to take infinite migrants from places with BILLIONS of people, because of "rasons". It's anti white agenda.
Eric_The_Jewish_Bear@reddit
Nice try fed. How's Langley? You know damn well its not racial shit. You just want to sow discord and make our concerns look racist so you can keep wages and workers rights down. More and more people are catching on to your shit
Big-Pound-5634@reddit
It's anti white agenda to import infinite migrants to the west, stay mad bout it. Call me whatever you want to try to shut me up, ain't happening and I don't care.
horce-force@reddit
No brainer. How this isn't law already is mind blowing
Tricky_Big_8774@reddit (OP)
It is a law. It's just enforced about as well as speed limits.
Acrobatic-Hunt618@reddit
I don’t understand the brown man bad thing…. There are white non english speaking foreigners driving trucks too..
guy_down@reddit
No one said, "Brown man bad," you said that. They said English speaking drivers. If you can read, write, and speak the majority language of a country you work in, you most likely can't read the signs, convey your intentions on the road, or even fill out a simple report. It's not about race or skin color. It's about doing your job.
Acrobatic-Hunt618@reddit
Way to just blatantly lie, or you are choosing to be ignorant. Which is really common on reddit. Seems like all lefties argue like this on here
Acrobatic-Hunt618@reddit
Wow you edited your post after we said that. It literally said brown man bad at the end. If you’re gonna lie we are done here
Waisted-Desert@reddit
Did you even read what OP posted?
The post literally says:
So yes, we're going to discuss the straw argument OP made that attempts to paint those who want commercial drivers to be able to communicate in English as somehow racist against people of color.
Big-Pound-5634@reddit
No, democrats and leftards always streer conversation in this way. This is the narrative from that side.
Infamous_Towel_5251@reddit
But those ones don't smell like ass, breed like rats, and leave shit everywhere.
Tricky_Big_8774@reddit (OP)
There are two groups of people out there trying to make this a racist issue. The first is the actual racists. The second and massively larger group is the people trying to claim anybody and everybody who supports this law is racist. Both groups studiously ignore non English speaking white people.
Snookfilet@reddit
Anything some people disagree with is called racist. It’s an attempt at defamation to shut down conversation but it doesn’t really work anymore.
Acrobatic-Hunt618@reddit
I agree, you are preaching to the choir in my case.
Chadro85@reddit
No kidding, people pissed and moaned about Eastern Europeans out of Chicago long before Indians and Africans. Liberals of reddit, I tell ya.
Acrobatic-Hunt618@reddit
They certainly pick and choose what they want to see and when to see it, that’s painfully obvious on reddit.
Kdub07878@reddit
Half the drivers from Louisiana, Mississippi and West Virginia can’t speak English.
Tricky_Big_8774@reddit (OP)
He actually mentions that. Not naming states specifically, though.
Big-Pound-5634@reddit
Cope, cry, seethe.
firstblush73@reddit
TRUCKS USE LEFT LANE ..../
1 out of 5 trucks, in the left lane. (Me)
And IS a safety issue. I dont need someone sideswipping me or causing a huge accident because they cant read, and the width of the right hand lane is not sufficient for a semi.
This happens EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. It is a problem.
Exotic_Macaron4288@reddit
Most often it's about the right lane being temporary asphalt and being unable to bear the weight of trucks long term. Sometimes it's about it being a busy area and merging lanes being shortened thus making it better to put trucks in the left lane so traffic can merge more safely. Sometimes it is about a narrower right lane.
firstblush73@reddit
And yet, every single time, that same sign is posted, SEVERAL times, so regardless og reason, being unable to comprehend traffic signage is a problem.
For anyone who cant read. 👍
WanderingAlligator57@reddit
Yes, it should be a requirement to understand, speak, read, and write in English unless you have a qualifying disability such as dyslexia, etc. (My grandfather drove trucks his whole life, including over in Italy during WWII. He had a 3rd grade education so he could not read or write super well, but he knew the road signs and could pass any test given as long as he could have the questions read aloud to him. He was born in 1925 and grew up during the Great Depression.)
LividImagination5925@reddit
there's some American drivers that clearly can speak, write & understand English and still messes up driving in US roads & you expect a non american driver who can't or hardly speak, write & understand english do better?
Always_Shifting_4459@reddit
Should be able to read and speak the national language of whatever country you're working in... except if I had to go somewhere that Arabic was the national language I'd be SOL 🤣
MajorHymen@reddit
Anyone operating a vehicle should be able to read and speak the language on signs. It’s stupid to think otherwise. Cars and trucks
RandomWhiteDude007@reddit
I couldn't imagine being in a foreign nation driving a tractor trailer. Took me years and many miles to figure out trucking and I'm an American citizen. The few times I went into Canada was challenging.
hotdog11inch@reddit
Does anyone think they could go to another country and get any job and not speak the language of that country hell no you couldn't only that stupid shit happens here and it needs to stop no English no job period
spartanantler@reddit
I don’t see the issue. In Aviation English is the universal language
crustang@reddit
Of all the problems in logistics, this is the most overblown one
WAPgawd@reddit
I think it is a pretty bad issue when it happens in Florida in a heavily built-up area. Traffic in Florida has progressively gotten worse over the years, and now you have to drive in fear of an illegal driver of an 18-tonne truck that does not know a lick of English and cannot read signs.
Tricky_Big_8774@reddit (OP)
It's a safety issue...
crustang@reddit
It's a testing and hiring issue, there should be better barriers to entry than just language.
Instahgator@reddit
No! They should be able to speak it and read it.