A Somali national truck driver was taken out of service after he drove an “80-ton truck” the wrong way on Highway 61 near Troy, Missouri, about 55 miles outside St. Louis, at 8 a.m. Wednesday, and failed an English proficiency test, authorities said.The trucker was filmed driving south in the northbound lanes before he crossed over and headed in the correct direction, according to video shared on X by US Transportation Security Sean Duffy.“We have learned that a truck driver with a Minnesota CDL who couldn’t read basic road signs spent MILES driving the wrong way in an 80 TON truck!” Duffy wrote on Wednesday. Duffy confirmed that the “dangerous trucker is now out of service.”Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers found that the driver was behind the wheel despite being unable to identify basic road signs required for a commercial licence, Fox 2 Now reported. Authorities said the driver had a valid commercial driver’s licence and showed no signs of impairment or medical issues.However, during the traffic stop, police said the “driver was unable to complete the English proficiency test,” Sgt. Dallas Thompson told the outlet.“In Missouri, they have to be able to understand English, take the test in English, and pass the road sign test here,” Thompson said, adding that state and federal regulations mandate English proficiency for commercial drivers.Authorities said the driver was removed from the road without a crash. They said he was licensed in Minnesota and employed by Cargo Transportation LLC.The trucker was ticketed for driving the wrong way, and no arrests were made. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety opened an investigation into the incident, according to the outlet.“We can confirm that all CDL applicants in Minnesota must take their knowledge and behind-the-wheel testing in English to demonstrate the ability to safely operate a commercial vehicle,” the department said.“When issuing any CDL or commercial learner’s permit (CLP), our Driver and Vehicle Services division follows the requirements set by federal rules (CFR 383).”Duffy confirmed that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the US Department of Transportation opened an investigation into how the trucker got his CDL.The incident followed the Trump administration’s announcement last April mandating that all CDL examinations be administered in English to address concerns regarding language comprehension among drivers.Pressure to enforce the mandate ramped up in August after an Indian immigrant truck driver accused of killing three people in a Florida crash allegedly flunked an English proficiency and road sign tests. Although commercial drivers were already required to demonstrate English proficiency to obtain a CDL, some states administered exams in multiple languages.Last week, New York announced it would no longer grant commercial driver’s licences to non-citizens following a Trump administration directive.More than 14,000 truckers were taken out of service for failing basic requirements after Trump signed an executive order designating English as the official language, according to the US Department of Transportation.The department also cracked down on “CDL mills” allegedly “churning out unqualified drivers,” shutting down more than 550 providers that failed safety standards and purging thousands of training centres from the registry.“We will not stop until America’s roads are safe again for families,” Duffy said.
