The U.S. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration pulled nearly 80 truck drivers out of service in a four-state operation, targeting truckers in violation of new requirements around foreign commercial driver's licenses and English language proficiency.
According to a September 30 release, the FMCSA worked with state police and the Department of Homeland Security to conduct what it called "Operation Saturday Night Fever," across South Carolina, North Carolina, Florida and Georgia. Officials conducted 552 inspections over the course of the operation, placing 78 drivers and 25 vehicles out of service.
Of those drivers, 12 were cited for failing English language proficiency (ELP) requirements that went into effect in June 2025. The rest were targeted for a range of other violations, including distracted driving, unsecured cargo and carrying invalid non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses.
Since enacting its new policies, the FMCSA has pulled more than 31,200 drivers out of service for failing ELP requirements, and revoked more than 31,000 licenses said to have been illegally issued to "unvetted foreign drivers." Under those policies, any driver who fails a roadside ELP assessment must be removed from service. Additionally, non-domiciled CDLs issued to foreign drivers have been limited to holders of specific visa types, preventing refugees, asylum seekers and DACA recipients from obtaining or renewing a CDL even if they are legally authorized to work in the U.S.
