Feds Look to Tighten Laws Requiring Truckers to Speak English

FoxNews ^ | July 15, 2008 | Staff Writer

[Tennessee Nana]

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Manuel Castillo was driving a truck through Alabama hauling onions and left with a $500 ticket for something he didn't think he was doing: speaking English poorly.

Castillo, who was stopped on his way back to California, said he knows federal law requires him to be able to converse in English with an officer but he thought his language skills were good enough to avoid a ticket.

Still, Castillo said he plans to pay the maximum fine of $500 rather than return to Alabama to fight the ticket.

"It just doesn't seem fair to be ticketed if I wasn't doing anything dangerous on the road," he said.

Federal law requires that anyone with a commercial drivers license speak English well enough to talk with police. Authorities last year issued 25,230 tickets nationwide for violations. Now the federal government is trying to tighten the English requirement, saying the change is needed for safety reasons.

Most states let truckers and bus drivers take at least part of their license tests in languages other than English. But the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has proposed rules requiring anyone applying for a commercial drivers license to speak English during their road test and vehicle inspection. The agency wants to change its rules to eliminate the use of interpreters, and congressional approval isn't required.

[Tennessee Nana]

Limiting the road portion of the CDL test to English-only conversation would help eliminate drivers who don't speak English well enough to talk to an officer on the roadside, Quade said. He sees no conflict in continuing to let applicants take the written test in languages other than English.

"The level of English proficiency we are looking for at the roadside is basic. The (written) CDL is a whole different level. There's multiple choice, fairly in-depth quarters that require more of an understanding of the English language." ______________________________________________

And what's not to like about that ????

[Tennessee Nana]

English requirement for truckers PING

[xcamel]

[machogirl]

It just doesn’t seem fair to be ticketed if I wasn’t doing anything dangerous on the road,” he said.

how would he know, he doesn’t speak english

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

...;0)

[Travis McGee]

!!Eso es racismo, pendojos gringos!!

[Yo-Yo]

“The measure would not extend to CB communications” said Transportation Secretary Mary E. Peters.

[eyedigress]

Sounds like a good step in the right direction. That is a job choice. Nearly every job I took in the 80's and 90's stated; must be able to speak, read, write and understand English.

[socialismisinsidious]

And what's not to like about that ????

I'm sure Obama will think of a few things, after all if the police would just learn Spanish then this man driving a truck (just to be able to feed his starving children) wouldn't be a problem.
You know something as common sense as this must drive the Libs nuts.

[SilvieWaldorfMD]

HAHAHAH!!!!

I thought it said “Turkeys” instead of “Truckers”!

How are you, Nan?

[Viking2002]

No, no, no, you sumbitch! I live in Alabama, and you have this image of a bunch of buffoonish, backwater white crackers running the show down here all wrong....

Much Obliged,

[SouthTexas]

Pobrecito.

[Jo Nuvark]

Thanks for the ping Nana!

Feds doing something right for a change
should have a “better sit down” alert.

[Jo Nuvark]

“What we have heeah is a faileeah to communicate.”

[xDGx]

I’d like to see them tighten laws requiring technical support to speak English...

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

No Speeeky Engleeez! BWahahaha...(spit tea on keybord)...;0)

[Faith-Hope]

Do they require the drivers of Mexico trucks running in this country to have a US license? Unless the law has changed I think they drive with a Mexico license or maybe none at all. I use to talk to some of these Mexico drivers and they know very few English words. So I guess we are picking on the ones that live in this country.

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

LMAOROF!!!,,,(I hurt myself)...;0)

[The_Media_never_lie]

"It just doesn't seem fair to be ticketed if I wasn't doing anything dangerous on the road," he said.

If he really said this, he shouldn't have been ticketed.

[Tennessee Nana]

Great thanks, Silvie...

How’s yerself ?????