New Study Links ELP Violations to Unsafe Trucking Carriers

ELP Violations Linked to Unsafe Trucking Carriers, Study Finds

A new study suggests that trucking companies with English Language Proficiency (ELP) violations may also have more safety problems. The research was conducted by Alex Scott, Associate Professor of Supply Chain Management at the University of Tennessee. It examines whether roadside inspections that find ELP violations also uncover other safety issues — and whether those carriers have worse safety scores overall.

ELP Enforcement Increased After Federal Order

The study follows an April 2025 executive order from President Trump. That order directed the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to strengthen enforcement of English Language Proficiency, or ELP, regulations. The rule itself is long-standing. It requires drivers to “read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public.”

After the order, enforcement rose sharply. Scott’s analysis found that ELP violations increased through June and July 2025, reaching about 6,000 violations each month. The increase was not consistent nationwide.

Texas led the country with more than 4,400 ELP violations. Arizona and Wyoming followed with smaller numbers. California, however, reported only eight violations out of more than 176,000 inspections. That number was even lower than before the order. The report noted that federal inspectors found these violations at a rate nearly 1,900 times higher than California’s rate.

Inspections With ELP Violations Show More Safety Problems

The research found a clear link between ELP violations and other safety issues. Roadside inspections that identified a violation also uncovered far more additional violations. On average, inspections with this violation found 3.9 other violations, while inspections without one found 1.7.

This trend held true even in the most detailed “Level 1” inspections. These check both the driver and the vehicle. In those inspections, the presence of an ELP violation corresponded with 4.7 total violations compared to 2.4 for those without.

The difference was even greater for the most serious violations — known as “out-of-service” (OOS) violations. Inspections with these violations had nearly three times as many driver OOS violations as inspections without one.

Carriers With ELP Violations Had Poorer Safety Scores

Scott also compared company safety records using data from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Carriers with ELP violations had worse scores in three key FMCSA safety categories — Vehicle Maintenance, Unsafe Driving, and Hours-of-Service (HOS) Compliance.

Carriers with violations averaged a 9.06 Vehicle Maintenance score, compared to 2.77 for all carriers. Their Unsafe Driving score was also higher at 6.23, while the average for all carriers was 1.32. Under FMCSA’s system, higher scores mean worse safety performance.

U.S. vs Non-U.S. Carriers

The study also compared carriers based in the United States with those based elsewhere. Both groups had poor safety outcomes when ELP violations were present.

Non-U.S. carriers, which often operate near border crossings, had the highest Vehicle Maintenance score — an average of 12.25. U.S.-based carriers averaged 6.15, which is also above the typical rate. U.S. carriers also recorded higher Unsafe Driving scores, with an average above 11.

Correlation NOT Cause

Scott emphasized that the study does not prove that English proficiency directly causes unsafe operations.

“This study cannot definitively explain these findings,” Scott wrote. “The findings also do not suggest that a lack of English-language proficiency cause these violations and poor carrier safety scores, just that they are correlated.”

He offered two possible explanations for the connection. One possibility is that drivers with limited English skills may not fully understand complex federal safety rules. Another is that “it is possible that non-English speaking drivers are taken advantage of by unscrupulous carriers and managers,” who may pressure them into unsafe driving practices.

ELP Findings Offer Insight Into Trucking Safety

The study comes as enforcement continues under the federal order. The FMCSA conducts around 3 million roadside inspections each year, and inspectors are now paying closer attention to ELP violations.

Scott’s findings suggest that English Language Proficiency could serve as an early warning sign of wider safety problems within trucking fleets. However, the report also warns that more research is needed to understand why this link exists.

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