28,000 drivers parked over English

Plus Wyoming's new rule, a Cascadia recall, diesel still climbing.

Author

Reed Loustalot
September 25, 2026

TRUCK PARKING CLUB

Friday Bulletin • September 25, 2026

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The Big Thing

The English Rule Now Has Teeth

For decades the rule sat on the books with no bite. A driver had to read road signs and speak enough English to deal with the public, but failing that check rarely stopped anybody. That is over. Since June 2025, English language proficiency is back on the national out-of-service list, and failing the roadside check now parks you on the spot.

The numbers are not small. FMCSA says more than 28,000 drivers have been placed out of service for English proficiency since the standard took effect, and the pace has been climbing, with more than 2,300 in July alone by one enforcement tracker's count. On August 31 the agency went further and pulled the plug on more than 110 truck driving schools it tied to roughly 5,000 of those violations, ordering them to stop training immediately.

Now FMCSA wants it written into the federal code. A proposal published August 10 would formally make an English proficiency failure an out-of-service violation, matching the standard inspectors already run at roadside. There is a narrow carve-out on the table for drivers working only the U.S.-Mexico border commercial zones. The public comment window closes October 9.

What this means for you. If your English is solid, the check is a non-event, a couple of questions and a road sign or two, and you roll. Keep your CDL and medical card squared away and nothing here changes your day. The bigger story is capacity. Pulling tens of thousands of drivers out of service does not create a single load, but it does thin the pool of trucks chasing the freight, and a thinner pool is one more thing holding up the rates you see in Mile Markers. If you want a say in how the final rule reads, the comment docket is open until October 9.

The rule is not new. The enforcement is. Know the check, keep your paperwork clean, and keep rolling.

Read more: FMCSA | CDLLife | Trucksafe

Mile Markers

Where the numbers landed this week.

Diesel: $6.529/gal, up 24.4 cents on the week and another record high. It now sits about $2.78 above where it was a year ago. (EIA)

Spot rates (all-in, national average): Van $2.96, Reefer $3.59, Flatbed $3.55 per mile. The latest weekly read holds all three near their seasonal highs and well above a year ago, and the week's gains came straight from fuel surcharges as diesel ran to a record. (DAT)

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News

A Freightliner Cascadia Brake Recall. Daimler Truck is recalling about 2,404 Freightliner Cascadia (2020-2023) and Western Star 49X (2022) trucks because a front-axle brake modulator valve can corrode and pull the truck to one side when you brake. Dealers will replace the valves at no charge, and owner letters are due out by November 8. If you run a Cascadia from those years, check your VIN on NHTSA.gov. Read more on Fleet Maintenance

Shoppers Kept Spending in August. Retail and food-service sales hit $773.9 billion in August, up 1.2% on the month and 6% from a year ago, according to the Commerce Department. Consumers are still buying, and everything they buy moves on a truck first. It is one more sign the freight is there heading into the holidays. Read more on Census.gov

Wyoming Adds a Teton Pass Rule. Starting October 1, drivers of large or over-weight vehicles must complete a free online safety certification before running Wyoming's Teton Pass, a 10% grade twice as steep as the average mountain pass. You review the materials at safepass.wyoroad.info and the certification is good for a year. Skip it and you can be cited under state law. Read more on The Trucker

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