Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into numerous trucking schools for potential violations of trade and public safety regulations, according to a statement released Tuesday. The probe centers on allegations that some institutions certified commercial drivers without adequate English proficiency and failed to meet training standards. EP Trucking School in El Paso is among the schools under scrutiny.
Federal law mandates that holders of commercial driver's licenses demonstrate sufficient English proficiency to communicate with the public, understand highway traffic signs and signals, respond to official inquiries, and complete required reports and records. Paxton argued that placing non-English speakers behind the wheel of commercial trucks poses significant public safety risks. "Putting non-English speakers behind the wheel of 18-wheelers in America can pose serious threats to public safety," he said in the statement.
Paxton specifically alleged that EP Trucking tells prospective students they do not need English proficiency to complete the training program. He also claimed that some entities have falsely represented themselves as certified schools and advertised training programs compressed into timelines as short as 20 days, well below the industry standard of three to seven weeks. Such abbreviated schedules, Paxton contended, indicate insufficient instruction and evaluation.
Luz Rivera, director of EP Trucking, responded to the allegations by email, stating the school is "committed to full compliance with all applicable state and federal standards and regulations." She noted that the institution provides on-site English instruction with bilingual instructors to support student comprehension. According to Rivera, students must demonstrate English proficiency during the skills testing portion, which includes pre-trip inspections, vehicle maneuvers, and road assessments. All skills evaluations are conducted in English by qualified examiners, though some students may complete written examinations in Spanish, as permitted by regulations.
Rivera, herself a professional truck driver, emphasized the practical necessity of English proficiency in the industry. She described real-world interactions with Department of Transportation officers who conduct questioning in English, including requests to spell state names. "One of the first questions asked was whether I spoke English," she noted. "These real-world interactions reinforce the necessity for drivers to be able to communicate effectively in English while operating in interstate and regulatory environments."
