Licenses & drivers4 min read
You have until October 9 to comment on parking drivers for English
Inspectors can already take a driver out of service for English. FMCSA wants that written into the rule itself. The comment window closes October 9.
On August 10, 2026, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration proposed to write the English-language rule into the definition of an out-of-service order. Out of service means the driver cannot keep driving until the problem is fixed. The proposal is docket FMCSA-2026-0826. It would change 49 CFR parts 390 and 391 so a driver who cannot meet the English requirement in section 391.11 is placed out of service on the spot.
This is not a new idea at the scale. The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance, the group that writes the roadside out-of-service list, already treats an English failure as a reason to park the driver. FMCSA says the proposal lines the federal rule up with that practice so every state enforces it the same way. Comments are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern on October 9, 2026, at Regulations.gov.
The rule is still a proposal. Roadside officers are not waiting on it. On September 30, a four-state overnight sweep placed 78 drivers out of service. Twelve of those were for English-language proficiency. That operation is the lead story on this desk.
Sources
- FMCSA proposed rule, English language proficiency as an out-of-service violation, comments due October 9, 2026
- CDLLife on the four-state overnight sweep, September 30, 2026
The Ro-Mac Brief summarizes public reporting for a general reader. Figures can be revised by the agency that published them. This is not legal advice.
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