What to know about driver English tests and training

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The Inside Lane is curated and written by Alan Schmadtke and edited by Bianca Prieto.

It’s no secret that one of the hottest issues for fleet owners and drivers is the growing demand for English comprehension on the road. Drivers will likely need a certain level of fluency to stay compliant, and stay driving, for at least the next three years. 

We’ve asked Mark Murrell, president of online driver training company CarriersEdge, to help us navigate where we are right now with driver education. 

When people hear about a language deficit among commercial drivers, they may assume the issues are centered on communicating with vendors, loaders, unloaders and people they meet along their route. Can you share why it’s much more than that and the risks involved?

The concerns about commercial drivers who are not fluent in English are twofold. First, they may not be able to communicate effectively with inspectors or roadside enforcement. When drivers don’t clearly understand verbal instructions in English, it can pose a safety hazard for anyone outside the vehicle. Second, drivers may not be able to fully understand road signs, especially those with multiple messages, such as “Construction ahead, expect delays” or “9% Grade 7 miles.” They may not take the appropriate precautions and could cause damage to the vehicle, an injury or even a fatality. 

Can you explain how the English Proficiency Assessment works?

The assessment takes about 10 minutes and is designed to assess how well a driver understands common phrases used during an inspection or other roadside encounter. It uses questions similar to ones the FMCSA describes in its enforcement guidelines. Questions and answers are either visual cues or audio clips, which assess a driver's ability to understand and respond to the types of questions they may be asked.

Is there a target market, or do you see this helping the various industry sectors?

The test can be useful for any carrier operating in the U.S. If a carrier has drivers for whom English is a second language, the assessment will give it an idea of how likely a driver is to fail the roadside English Proficiency Test and be placed out of service. Right now, with the new enforcement rules, anyone operating a commercial vehicle can be administered this roadside evaluation at the discretion of the official.

What kind of information does the assessment show that might help carriers understand their risk or success level with any one driver?

The assessment doesn’t guarantee that drivers will pass a roadside inspection, but it will serve as an indicator of which drivers are at risk. Once the assessment is complete, both the driver and carrier can see which answers were incorrect, which provides valuable feedback. Identifying what has been answered incorrectly will help determine where the carrier can provide extra support. 

There are multiple reasons why drivers may not follow a conversation in English. How can a carrier understand the problem?

The carrier’s solution may be as simple as conducting a mock inspection in the yard and having drivers practice an interaction in English with a member of the safety team.  

Does your app have settings to help drivers who speak languages other than Spanish? 

The CarriersEdge app supports French and Spanish, and much of the training content has been translated into those languages, as well. However, the roadside assessment will be conducted in English, so the assessment is only available in English.

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The Inside Lane is curated and written by Alan Schmadtke and edited by Bianca Prieto.