English language proficiency has entered the top five reasons commercial drivers were placed out of service during this year's International Roadcheck, according to data from the Commercial Vehicle Safety Association (CVSA) reviewed by FreightWaves. The category accounted for 361 out-of-service (OOS) orders — 9.1% of all driver-related OOS orders across the U.S. and Canada.
English language proficiency accounted for 361 OOS orders — 9.1% of all driver-related OOS orders in the U.S. and Canada, according to CVSA data.
English proficiency enters the rankings
English proficiency was not in the top five during Roadcheck 2025, when the five largest driver OOS categories accounted for 86.8% of the total, FreightWaves reported. The smallest of those five — driving with a suspended license — represented 5.1%, meaning ELP's 2025 share fell below that threshold. In the 2026 results, released by CVSA on Tuesday, 361 drivers were taken out of service for failing to demonstrate English proficiency, ranking fourth among driver-related OOS violations.
The change follows heightened attention to the existing English language proficiency regulation, FreightWaves noted: President Donald Trump signed an executive order in April 2025 affirming the rule, and a federal effort is underway to further codify it.
Medical card violations surge, hours-of-service decline
Driver-related OOS data is combined for the U.S. and Canada only, per CVSA. The biggest one-year shift: "no medical card" violations jumped from 493 (14.9% of the total) in 2025 to 1,072 (27.0%) in 2026. Hours-of-service violations, the largest category in 2025 at 1,076 (32.4%), fell to 929 (23.4%).
No-CDL violations dropped from 810 (24.4%) to 620 (15.6%), and false logs fell from 332 (10.0%) to 266 (6.7%). Suspended-license violations — 170 orders and 5.1% last year — dropped out of the top five altogether, displaced by English proficiency.
| Driver OOS violation | 2025 count | 2025 share | 2026 count | 2026 share |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hours of service | 1,076 | 32.4% | 929 | 23.4% |
| No medical card | 493 | 14.9% | 1,072 | 27.0% |
| No CDL | 810 | 24.4% | 620 | 15.6% |
| False logs | 332 | 10.0% | 266 | 6.7% |
| Suspended license | 170 | 5.1% | Not in top five | — |
| English language proficiency | Not in top five | — | 361 | 9.1% |
Vehicle violations: brakes still on top
Vehicle-related OOS data covers the U.S., Canada and Mexico, FreightWaves noted. Brake systems remained the leading vehicle OOS category: 3,379 violations (24.3%) this year versus 3,304 (24.4%) last year. The top five vehicle categories were unchanged in order — brake systems, tires, 20% defective brakes, cargo securement and lights — and accounted for 86.7% of all vehicle OOS orders this year, up from 84.4% in 2025.
Cargo securement, announced as a priority for this year's Roadcheck, barely moved: 1,737 OOS violations last year versus 1,724 this year, according to FreightWaves.
Decals issued for vehicles that passed inspection rose to 11,880 power units from 11,441, with total decals including trailers and buses climbing to 17,680 from 16,521.
ELD tampering falls short of top five
The announced driver focus for 2026 — "electronic logging device (ELD) tampering, falsification or manipulation," as CVSA described it — did not make the top five. It finished seventh with 146 OOS orders, 3.7% of the total.
For carriers, the CVSA data signals that documentation compliance now drives a larger share of driver OOS risk than a year ago. Medical-card violations more than doubled in count, and English proficiency moved from below the 5.1% threshold to a 9.1% share, according to FreightWaves.
Watch list
- Cargo securement, announced as a 2026 Roadcheck priority, produced 1,724 OOS violations versus 1,737 in 2025 — a near-flat result, per FreightWaves.
- ELD tampering, falsification or manipulation finished seventh with 146 OOS orders (3.7%).
- Suspended-license violations fell out of the top five after recording 170 orders (5.1%) in 2025.
- Decals for clean inspections rose to 11,880 power units from 11,441, and total decals increased to 17,680 from 16,521.
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