English language proficiency for commercial drivers: What horticulture businesses need to know
As a horticulture business owner, your commercial drivers are a primary link between your company and your customers. Keeping your drivers safe and compliant requires navigating a number of regulations, including the federal English Language Proficiency (ELP) rule.
Although ELP requirements have existed for years, recent federal action has brought renewed scrutiny and enforcement to this long-standing rule. In 2025, the U.S. Department of Transportation issued guidance directing inspectors to more strictly enforce English language requirements during roadside inspections and compliance reviews.
Today, even if a driver meets every other qualification, failing the ELP requirement can result in an immediate out-of-service violation, disrupting deliveries and exposing your business to fines, delays, or insurance complications.
What is the FMCSA English Language Proficiency rule?
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires all commercial motor vehicle drivers to demonstrate sufficient English language proficiency to:
Converse with the public
Understand highway traffic signs and signals
Respond to official inquiries
Complete required reports and records
This mandate applies to any driver operating a commercial vehicle in interstate commerce. Many states adopt these regulations for intrastate travel or may have their own regulatory requirements. Commercial vehicles are defined as:
A vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) or gross combination weight rating (GCWR) of 10,001 pounds or more, or
Vehicles designed to transport 16 or more passengers, or
Hazmat vehicles
Vehicles that are considered commercial vehicles include tractor-trailers, box trucks, dump trucks, straight trucks, landscape trucks pulling a trailer, and tour buses.
Why does the ELP rule matter for horticultural businesses?
Many horticulture businesses rely on commercial drivers to transport stock, supplies, or equipment under tight seasonal timelines.
For employers, this mandate isn’t just a driver concern. It’s a compliance and operational risk. Stronger ELP enforcement introduces new challenges, such as:
Labor may not meet ELP requirements without additional training or evaluation
DOT inspections can trigger unexpected fines, delivery delays, or out-of-service orders
A single violation can disrupt deliveries during peak seasons or negatively impact CSA scores and insurance reviews
Because horticulture deliveries are often time-sensitive, even short disruptions can affect stock quality, customer satisfaction, and revenue.
How can you prepare your horticultural business?
Start by developing a clear blueprint to help ensure compliance and protect your operations.
Audit your current drivers and their duties
Working with your human resources and legal partners, audit your current driver roster to identify which employees fall under FMCSA commercial trucking regulations and confirm that all required drivers meet ELP requirements.
Update hiring and training processes
Your drivers don’t need to be fluent in English—but they must be able to effectively communicate in English. Consider including English language skills in your job descriptions, implementing basic assessments during hiring, and offering ESL training and support when needed. Work with your human resources and legal partners to help properly update these processes.
Document compliance
Keep clear records for every driver, including documentation of English proficiency during hiring and training, completion of any ELP-related training or assessments, and relevant notes from interviews or evaluations. Clear documentation can be critical during inspections or insurance reviews.
Communicate with your insurance provider
Notify your insurance provider when drivers are added or reassigned to commercial motor vehicle duties to keep coverage aligned. Changes in driver qualifications or roles can affect underwriting, claims handling, and overall risk exposure.
FAQs: English language commercial driver rules
Drivers must be able to converse with the public, understand traffic signs, respond to officials, and complete any required paperwork.
Under current regulations, the driver may be placed out of service until their compliance is restored.
No. English language proficiency rules still apply to all commercial drivers regardless of other exemptions.
Stay compliant and protect your business
Moving forward, make English language proficiency requirements for your business’s drivers a top priority—not just to meet legal requirements but to reduce operational risk and help protect your business.
Proactively reviewing your hiring practices, documentation, and training processes can help prevent fines, delivery disruptions, and unexpected downtime during critical seasons.
Performing driver interviews is critical, as this is the perfect time to assess drivers’ proficiency in English. Ensure your drivers understand that they must speak in English when conversing with officers.
If you have questions on this subject, we’re here to help you. You can reach out to us online, or contact our Loss Control and Safety Services team at 800-851-7740. We’re here to help you keep your operation running smoothly and efficiently.
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