Laredo, Texas, represents the country's largest, busiest port, "and we don't even have an ocean," said Laredo Motor Carriers Association Chairman Jerry Maldonado.
Following implementation of President Donald Trump's executive order boosting enforcement of English language proficiency among drivers in the U.S., it might also have some of the busiest adult-learning language classes in the country, too.
It's a trucking town, through and through, with more than 800 motor carriers domiciled in Webb County, Texas, alone. But this American trucking behemoth also sits on the border with Mexico. As such, it's become the front line for English language proficiency enforcement.
Analysis from FTR Intelligence's Avery Vise found that Laredo-based motor carriers got more ELP violations over the course of the 24 months ending in March than any other carrier headquarters city in the nation -- by a long shot.
Laredo-based motor carriers topped more than 1,000 violations. Carriers in the first runner-up city (San Diego, California) chalked up less than 200.
Jerry Maldonado said LMCA, a municipal-level organization aligned with the Texas Trucking Association and the American Trucking Associations, has seen a significant uptick in interest in English language classes. "We, as an association providing a free service to all our members, are offering classes to drivers that want to better their English or just polish their skills," said Maldonado.
LMCA "got ahold of the DOT, FMCSA and Texas [Department of Public Safety]" to "share with us the questions inspectors typically ask drivers during a Level One inspection," he said. "It's not a secret, and not private. These are common things officers are trained to do."
[Related: FMCSA issues ELP-enforcement policy guidance for inspectors]
With that, LMCA worked with two English-as-a-second-language teachers and built a "little curriculum and tried to get drivers that did not feel 100% confident" in their English skills to take the classes. Maldonado, who works for Warren Transport in addition to chairing LMCA, said "every major tucking company has presence in Laredo, from Schneider, Swift, PAM -- down to the guys that have five trucks." Those fleets big and small, many LMCA members, have taken a major interest in LMCA's classes.
A poster advertising the classes seen by Overdrive said LMCA had added more classes due to an "overwhelming response" to the offering. The classes don't just teach Spanish speakers English, either.
"There are all kinds of languages on our roads," said Maldonado. "As an industry we support all our members abiding by the regulations. We understand the logic behind it."
Maldonado expressed support for Trump's ELP mandate as well -- along with some 94% of Overdrive readers.
"We do support it, we do agree with the logic behind it," he said. "It makes sense for the drivers on the road to communicate and be able to read streets signs, or even emergency signs and billboards" that have specific messages about road closures or detours. Not understanding that signage "could be a little dangerous," he said.
Overdrive has heard directly from inspectors that won't get under a truck if the driver doesn't speak English, taking those non-English speakers' equipment away from full safety enforcement for about a decade between the relaxation of ELP in 2015 and the recent moves by DOT and CVSA to reinstate ELP violations in the out-of-service criteria. Texas, however, does not have that problem, as they carry out inspections with two officers, one monitoring the driver in the cab and another under the truck if needed, a former Texas inspector told Overdrive.
What did Maldonado have to say about Laredo's high rate of ELP violations over the last year? Study Canada-based fleets, he said, and "you will probably see the same or equivalent" number of ELP violations. He explained Laredo's glut of ELP violations as a product of the B-1 driver system, which allows Canadian or Mexican drivers to drive in the U.S. with an I-94 entry/departure permit.
[Related: Trump admin reviewing non-domiciled CDLs for foreign drivers: How many are there?]
"In the last 10 years ... a lot of companies that have a precense in Laredo grew their fleets with that type of driver capacity," he said. "Some fleets with 10 drivers might be 100% Mexican citizens operating legally" through the B-1 program. "Some fleets with two, three, four, even 1,000 drivers might be 100%" Mexican citizens. Warren, Maldonado's own company, he added, does not take on Mexican drivers, but he often sees it among other Laredo carriers.
How will the ELP mandate play out, ultimately? Maldonado felt it would depend largely on enforcement and some very personal, very driver-dependent factors.
"How do you get out of this OOS?" he asked. With OOS violations, whether related to equipment, hours of service or something else, "historically there's a way to fix things," he said. So, to fix being put OOS for lacking English, a driver would have to learn the language enough to satisfy law enforcement.
"How long will that take? Depends on the human being," Maldonado said. "Anyone that gets pulled over gets a little nervous, it's just a human thing."
[Related: Trump DOT 'ELP mandate' for drivers could boost rates 15%: Analysis]
