Mexico Trucker Online

Alabama State Troopers are enhancing revenue in that state using the vague provisions of FMCSA Regulation 391.11 (b)(2), the controversial rule requiring CDL holders to be conversant in English

This rule leaves it up to the individual officer or inspector to determine, in his mind, what is “sufficient”.

This can be open to abuse and a persons personal prejudice due to the vague nature of the regulation.

FMCSA Regulation 391.11 (b)(2) Can read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, to understand highway traffic signs and signals in the English language, to respond to official inquiries, and to make entries on reports and records

The question that begs to be answered in this case is, did the trooper expect this driver to speak perfect Oxford (Al) english? Perhaps so.

Manuel Castillo was driving a truck through Alabama hauling onions and left with a $500 ticket for something he didn’t think he was doing: speaking English poorly.

Castillo, who was stopped on his way back to California, said he knows federal law requires him to be able to converse in English with an officer but he thought his language skills were good enough to avoid a ticket.

Read the rest of this entry »

Transportistas de Nuevo Laredo pide al DOT de Estados Unidos frenar las presiones hacia los transfers por no saber hablar inglés

NUEVO LAREDO.- Transportistas de Nuevo Laredo pide al DOT de Estados Unidos frenar las presiones hacia los transfers por no saber hablar inglés, porque advierten que podrían suspender las operaciones.

“Nos habían dicho que ya no iban a insistir en los warnings(advertencias), que era por un tiempo. Sin embargo, siguen presionando a los transfers(chóferes de camiones) y nos parece mal.

Si siguen así pues entonces a ver quién les cruza la mercancía”, expresó el transportista Gerardo Madrazo O. quien forma parte del Comité Binacional en Comercio Exterior Blue Ribbon.

In translation; Border shuttle drivers are asking Texas DPS to quite handing out tickets and warning for not being able to speak English, and I happen to agree with them.

With a population along the border that is 90% hispanic, business is done in Spanish, and there is no reason in the world to be enforcing this on cross border shuttle trucks, other than harassment and discrimination. Especially since the majority, if not all of the Texas DPS officers assigned to the border region are bi-lingual.

However, Mexico Trucker fully supports enforcement efforts of the English language provision on truckers beyond the commercial zones without exception.