(Radio Iowa) – The trade group that represents 400 Iowa trucking companies and suppliers is backing a bill that would require anyone seeking a commercial drivers license in Iowa to pass an English proficiency test.
Blake Grolmus of the Iowa Motor Truck Association says there have been some very public examples of crashes involving commercial motor vehicles driven by individuals who could not speak, read or understand the English language,” Grolmus said. The bill also calls for a one-thousand dollar fine for truck drivers who aren’t proficient at English caught driving in Iowa — and even heftier fines for any trucking company caught employing a trucker driving through Iowa who cannot speak or read English. Last June, the Trump Administration issued guidelines that let law enforcement officers stop truckers from continuing their route if the driver is unable to answer questions posed in English, like “What are you hauling?”
Records indicate 12-thousand truckers in the U-S who cannot speak English well have been sidelined so far, including 500 in the state of Iowa.
