Friday, March 27, 2026 |
Photo – Semi – Bigfoot99 file photo
Wyoming Congresswoman Harriet Hageman continues to push for increased oversight for commercial truck drivers and carriers.
On March 5th, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon signed House Bill 32 into law. The measure gives every law enforcement agency in Wyoming the authority to remove commercial drivers from service and issue $1,000 fines if they fail to demonstrate basic English‑language proficiency. Multiple violations can result in additional fines and up to 90 days in jail.
House Bill 32 was introduced in response to President Donald Trump’s June 2025 executive order reinstating language proficiency requirements for commercial truck drivers. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations already mandated a minimum English language requirement, but the Obama administration directed inspectors not to take drivers off the road for language violations.
Many lawmakers, including Wyoming Congresswoman Harriet Hageman, attribute the loosened English requirements to a long-term increase in highway deaths involving commercial drivers.
Despite a recent dip in fatalities, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data shows that heavy truck-related deaths have increased by approximately 40 percent over the last decade. In 2021, the United States recorded the highest number of commercial truck fatalities in nearly twenty years, with 5,788 deaths nationwide.
Speaking at the March 25th House Transportation, Housing and Urban Development meeting, Congresswoman Hageman testified that English‑language proficiency is one of the nation’s most important road safety standards.
Representative Hageman continued, saying commercial drivers must be able to read Wyoming’s variable road signs that warn of hazardous conditions. The congresswoman added that a federally directed lack of enforcement of the language requirements has put every driver at risk.
The congresswoman’s concerns were highlighted in a recent report by Fox News correspondent Alexis McAdams, which showed a Florida Highway Patrol trooper administering a basic English‑proficiency test to a commercial trucker. The driver was unable to identify a Keep Right sign, repeatedly saying it indicated an exit to the right, and was taken out of service for failing to meet the minimum language‑proficiency requirements.
While House Bill 32 was applauded for its potential to keep unqualified commercial truck drivers off Wyoming’s highways, some state legislators argued that trucking companies should also be held accountable for knowingly putting them on the road.
In February, Congresswoman Harriet Hageman introduced the Safety and Accountability in Freight Enforcement Act to target so‑called “chameleon carriers” in the trucking industry. A chameleon carrier is a trucking company that shuts down to avoid safety fines, legal judgments, or out‑of‑service orders, only to immediately reopen under a different name and Department of Transportation identification number.
The Safety and Accountability in Freight Enforcement, or SAFE, Act, directs the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Administration to develop an automated way to flag suspicious registration applications that reuse the same trucks, managers, or addresses.
The SAFE Act was introduced following the February 3rd crash in which a commercial truck driven by an illegal immigrant struck a van, killing four people in Indiana. The truck involved was reported to belong to a chameleon carrier.
In a February 18th media release about the SAFE Act, Congresswoman Hageman is quoted as saying, “[chameleon carriers] game the system, ignore the law, and put American families at risk, all while punishing hardworking truckers who follow the rules.”
If a trucking company racks up violations or loses its license, it should not get to slap on a new name and get back on the road. My bill closes dangerous loopholes and holds bad actors accountable.”
In the same release, American Trucking Associations Senior Vice President of Legislative Affairs Alex Rosen stated, “Chameleon carriers are a plague on our nation’s highways, putting all motorists at risk and undercutting the vast majority of trucking companies that are responsible and follow the rules,”
A Government Accountability Office study found that chameleon carriers have a significantly higher crash rate than official carriers, a result linked to operators prioritizing profit over fixing any safety violations.
The SAFE Act has been referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure for further review.
