A short, punchy video set off a storm across trucking circles.
In a post shared by American Truckers on X, a shipping manager at a U.S. port says federal agents were “confiscating trucks left and right” because certain drivers “do not speak English or could not read English.” She places the tally at “20 to 25 trucks,” citing what “one of the guards told” a driver coming through her gate.
The manager says she’s worked “29 years” in shipping and has watched pay “go from good to [garbage]” as the industry was “flooded…with a bunch of illegal immigrants that will work for low wages.”
She ends with overt praise for Donald Trump and former ICE chief Tom Homan, adding, “America’s got y’all’s back on this one.”
That’s the core claim. It’s emotional, specific, and – if accurate – explosive. It also needs context and verification.
“Is This Really Happening?” Truckers Ask – And Answer
Alex Mai, who hosts the Mutha Trucker – Official Trucking Channel, did what working drivers always do with stories like this: he put the question straight to the field.
Mai tells his audience that the clip came to him from American Truckers United – a group he credits for digging into “English proficiency and keeping the road safe” – and then asks for ground-truth: How long have you been driving, and is what the shipping manager describes actually happening at ports and warehouses?
Mai doesn’t dismiss the premise. He reiterates a practical standard many drivers live by: whether you’re an American citizen or not, if you can’t read road signs, communicate with law enforcement, or coordinate with shipping personnel, “that is a true concern and a bottleneck.”
His aim, he says, is to gather first-hand accounts to share “directly to Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy” so DOT hears what drivers see.
In on-the-spot interviews, Mai also captures a sentiment you’ll hear at truck stops from Sioux City to Savannah. Asked what change they most want, three veteran drivers – Seth Dobson, Cody Priest, and Jim Akins – answer in unison: “All English.”
It’s not couched in politics; it’s delivered as a shop-floor fix for daily friction.
As a practical matter, I get it. If you’ve ever waited an hour at a congested gate while a language mismatch turns a simple check-in into a dead stop, you understand why this rubs.
Still, a viral video plus driver anecdotes aren’t the same as documented enforcement. That’s where the third source lands with a thud.
A National Crackdown Takes Shape
NewsNation correspondent Salvador Rivera reports that 5,500 commercial truckers have been put out of service or had licenses suspended across the U.S. after failing “basic English assessments.”
Rivera attributes the number to Israel Delgado Vallejo, vice president of Mexico’s Northwest Chamber of Freight Transporters, who says enforcement has “hardened” and become “more stringent.”
According to Rivera’s reporting, the acceleration follows an executive order by President Trump six months ago “reinstituting an existing law” that requires commercial drivers to speak and understand enough English to read signs and interact with law enforcement.
Delgado Vallejo expects enforcement to remain heavy “through the end of the year,” especially in Texas, and estimates that along the border “about 80%” of drivers don’t speak English.
Rivera also notes pressure from the U.S. Department of Transportation, which has “warned” states such as California, Washington, and New Mexico to enforce the English mandate—going so far as to threaten federal transportation funding for noncompliance.
He adds that the California Highway Patrol says it will not revoke licenses solely for lack of English proficiency.
This matters. The NewsNation piece doesn’t confirm the port-by-port “confiscations” the shipping manager described, but it documents a real, nationwide push to test English ability and sideline drivers who fail – complete with numbers, agencies, and policy levers.
Seizures, Suspensions, Or Both?
So, are rigs actually being seized?
The shipping manager in the American Truckers video says yes – that “Custom[s] Border Patrols” at her port “already took away at least 20 to 25 trucks” because drivers “do not speak English.” She frames the action as immediate and punitive, happening “left and right.”
Mai, to his credit, doesn’t present that assertion as settled fact. He asks drivers to confirm or debunk what they’ve seen and promises to funnel credible reports to DOT. He’s treating the story as a testable claim and calling for evidence on both sides.
Rivera’s reporting, by contrast, centers on licenses and out-of-service orders, not permanent asset seizures.
“Revoked driving privileges” and “out of service” are civil/administrative statuses—serious, expensive, and career-shaking – but they’re not the same as the government taking title to a tractor. That distinction matters both legally and politically.
My read: it’s plausible that a driver who fails an English assessment could be placed out of service and temporarily parked pending relief or a tow.
In a port environment with federal presence, that might look and feel like a seizure, especially to someone watching trucks get hooked and hauled. But “confiscation” implies permanent forfeiture; neither Mai’s segment nor Rivera’s report establishes that.
That doesn’t make the shipping manager dishonest; it suggests the story is hot and needs corroboration. If “20 to 25” rigs were actually seized outright at one facility in a single sweep, that would be documented somewhere – by carriers, insurers, or local media. Until we see those receipts, the safer phrasing is the one in this headline: reportedly.
Safety, Fairness, And The Political Undertow
Let’s be honest: English proficiency in CDL enforcement lives at the intersection of safety, fairness, and politics.
On safety, Mai’s standard is hard to argue with. The job demands precise, often time-critical communication with dispatch, dock crews, DOT officers, and cops on the shoulder. You can support immigrant labor and insist on a shared language baseline to keep 80,000-lb. vehicles from becoming confused missiles.
Drivers know this. That’s why “All English” lands as a work rule, not a slur, when it comes from people who’ve logged the miles.
On fairness, the California Highway Patrol line that it won’t yank licenses solely for language underscores a concern: due process and proportionality. If a driver fails a quick assessment at a checkpoint, what’s the path back? Is there clear notice, a retest window, and uniform standards – or does enforcement vary wildly by state and inspector?
Rivera’s note that DOT is threatening funding to compel compliance shows Washington is pushing hard; CHP’s stance shows states are calculating how to apply pressure without punishing people arbitrarily.
On politics, the shipping manager’s closing – “God bless Tom Homan and Donald J. Trump” – locates the story firmly in the broader immigration fight. Rivera’s description of Trump’s executive order “reinstituting” the mandate syncs with that.
You don’t have to share the manager’s tone to see the dynamic: a populist, pro-enforcement mood that bleeds from the border into freight. The policy stakes are real; the partisan vibes are loud.
My take? Enforce the English standard consistently and transparently, publish the metrics, and give drivers a clear, fast path to remediation. If the goal is safer roads, the fix looks like testing + training + retesting, not surprise career death sentences.
And if rigs are actually being seized, not just parked, agencies should be able to show the authority and the numbers in daylight.
What Drivers And Carriers Can Do Now
While the conversation churns, Mai’s crowdsourcing instinct is the right one.
Drivers: document your encounters. If you’re put out of service for language, get the code section, inspection report, and contact info for the officer. If you see actual seizures, note the date, port, unit numbers, carrier names, and the agency involved. Facts move policy; rumors move clicks.
Carriers: audit your fleets operating at ports and border states. If your payroll includes non-English-speaking drivers, get ahead of this – offer English coaching, prep materials for DOT stops, and identify routes that may face stricter checks. Whatever your politics, downtime wrecks margins.
Advocates: like American Truckers and American Truckers United, your voices are powerful. Pair the passion with verification. The shipping manager’s video resonates because it feels lived-in. Back it up with affidavits, inspection docs, and police logs, and you’ll turn a viral moment into a policy lever.
A shipping manager, amplified by American Truckers on X, says 20–25 trucks at her port were “confiscated” because their drivers couldn’t speak or read English.
Alex Mai of Mutha Trucker is gathering first-hand accounts to brief Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, while veteran drivers publicly back an “All English” baseline on the job.
NewsNation’s Salvador Rivera, citing Israel Delgado Vallejo, reports 5,500 drivers sidelined nationwide for failing English assessments after President Trump’s executive order revived strict enforcement – and notes DOT pressure on states, even as CHP says it won’t revoke licenses for language alone.
My opinion, stated plainly: English proficiency at the wheel isn’t xenophobia; it’s operational necessity. But surprise crackdowns without clear standards or off-ramps invite chaos. If the government is taking people’s livelihoods – and especially if it’s taking their trucks – it owes the public a clear paper trail.
Until that trail is visible, “reportedly” remains the right word. And the smart move for everyone in freight is the same as ever: document everything.
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Gary’s love for adventure and preparedness stems from his background as a former Army medic. Having served in remote locations around the world, he knows the importance of being ready for any situation, whether in the wilderness or urban environments. Gary’s practical medical expertise blends with his passion for outdoor survival, making him an expert in both emergency medical care and rugged, off-the-grid living. He writes to equip readers with the skills needed to stay safe and resilient in any scenario.
