President Donald Trump signed a new executive order requiring truck drivers to be proficient in English while driving in the United States, as well as to understand traffic rules. The measure will come into effect next June and could significantly affect the logistics of international trade, especially at border crossings like Port-Laredo, one of the main land cargo ports in the US.
At these crossings, the work of binational drivers is essential, many of whom have basic knowledge of English to fulfill their duties. If Trump's order is implemented, transportation companies between Mexico and the United States could face additional costs and delays when transferring cargo to operators with English skills, increasing prices and tariffs to the detriment of logistics and raising prices in supermarkets.
This measure is being implemented at a time of critical shortage of truck drivers in the United States, with an estimated deficit of more than 80,000 drivers nationwide by 2024. The lack of drivers could lead to delays in the delivery of essential goods such as food and medicine, negatively impacting trade between the two countries.
The executive order also seeks to strengthen the security of commercial driver's licenses to improve safety in the transportation of commercial motor vehicles. To this end, licenses issued by state agencies will be reviewed to identify irregularities. The only foreign driver's licenses accepted in the United States are those from the federal government of Mexico and from the provinces and territories of Canada.
Gerardo Maldonado, director of Laredo Motor Carrier Associates, commented that the novelty of this measure lies in the fact that drivers must be able to communicate in English correctly, and failure to do so could result in fines and being placed out of service, which would affect carriers and the supply chain in general. This situation could generate losses and increased costs in logistics.
In summary, Trump's new executive order could negatively impact trade between Mexico and the United States, affecting the workforce in the US and generating additional costs for cargo transportation, which in turn would translate to higher prices for end consumers.
