New study suggests ELP violations linked to unsafe trucking companies

A new research study suggests a link between truck drivers who violate English language proficiency rules and higher safety violation rates for trucking companies. 

The study was conducted in part by Alex Scott, an associate professor of supply chain management at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and was released on October 1st. The study focused on Unsafe Driving, Vehicle Maintenance, and HOS Compliance as tracked by the  Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration through roadside inspections conducted from May 1st through September 21st. 

“It is important to develop and implement policies that identify unsafe drivers and carriers,” the study reads. “Thus, it is worth examining whether truck drivers who violate ELP regulations are in fact less safe compared to all truck drivers, and whether the carriers that employ these drivers are less safe compared to their peers.”

The study found that inspections that included an ELP violation had 2.5 times the amount of non-ELP violations and nearly 3 times the amount of serious violations as compared to inspections without an ELP violation. Carriers with ELP violations were also found to have worse safety scores from the FMCSA, particularly in regards to vehicle maintenance and unsafe driving. The study notes that ELP violations were found at “vastly different rates across states.”

“The findings … do not suggest that a lack of English-language proficiency causes these violations and poor carrier safety scores, just that they are correlated,” the study states. 

“First, if a driver cannot speak English, then the driver is unlikely to be able to understand the extensive federal rules and regulations governing trucking. This could contribute to a lack of understanding of how trucks are expected to be maintained or how hours of service rules are expected to be followed. Second, it is possible that non-English speaking drivers are taken advantage of by unscrupulous carriers and managers at those carriers. It is possible that unsafe carriers hire drivers who cannot speak English and then push them to perform unsafely. If that is the case, then actions should be taken to protect drivers from those management practices.”