A guidance issued by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration outlines how to deal with commercial drivers operating in the U.S. who do not properly understand, read, or communicate in English, as required by the DOT.

According to the DOT rule, which has been on the books since 1970, commercial drivers must be able to read English, converse with the public, understand highways signs and signals, respond to official inquires, and make entries on reports or records.

Although the regulation has been in effect for nearly forty years, it was not considered an OOS violation until 2005. However, even then, officers were only instructed to cite drivers and not place them OOS for not being up to speed on English -- until now.

The amendment -- which applies to any commercial truck driver hauling in the U.S. except Mexican truckers limited to the 20-mile commercial zone beyond the southern border -- is effective immediately.

Because "language proficiency" can be somewhat subjective -- to be established by an individual roadside inspector -- carriers employing drivers whose second language is English would be wise to keep any records that show the driver's proficiency in understanding and communicating the language.

During the recent Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance Roadcheck enforcement blitz, a Russian-speaking driver in Nebraska was pulled off the road and placed out-of-service.

The driver reportedly had all his papers in order but couldn't communicate with the troopers.

Drivers in Canada need not worry about the English requirement. For better or worse, there's no such regulation on this side of the border.