English-language rules at the border are sidelining trucks — and reshaping the logistics industry

Mexican trucking companies moving freight through the Rio Grande Valley are ramping up English-language training for drivers as U.S. inspectors continue strict enforcement of communication requirements that can sideline trucks, disrupt schedules, and slow cross-border supply chains.

The English-language requirement has existed for years, but industry leaders say intensified enforcement at ports of entry is creating new delays during an already difficult year for logistics. 

Companies operating along one of the region’s busiest trade corridors — handling thousands of daily truck crossings — are responding with internal schools, updated inspection training, and new hiring strategies, while bridge operators report real-time operational impacts when drivers and their cargo are stopped from continuing their routes. 

Industry representatives warn the burden falls most heavily on small carriers and independent drivers, as freight volumes soften amid security concerns, tariff shifts, administrative bottlenecks, and broader uncertainty reshaping cross-border trade.

According to the National Chamber of Freight Transport, or Canacar, the Pharr–Reynosa International Bridge alone handles an average of about 4,200 truck crossings per day, a benchmark that illustrates the volume of freight moving through the Rio Grande Valley’s broader cross-border trade network even as logistics activity slows.

“We are fully in favor of safety and compliance with U.S. regulations,” said Edgar Zamorano, Canacar’s president representing the northern border region. “What we ask for is clear rules… without improvisation and without unfairly affecting Mexican drivers.”

Driver delays at ports

Enforcement actions at international crossings across the Valley are forcing operational pauses and daily adjustments. 

At the Starr-Camargo international crossing between Rio Grande City, Texas, and Camargo, Tamaulipas, drivers are sometimes out of service, halting trucks and delaying supply chains.

“The regulation remains in effect, it has not changed, and it continues to be applied the same way,” Beatriz Castro, international legal officer at Starr-Camargo Bridge Company, said. “Drivers are not sent back, but they can be placed out of service until another driver who complies with the English requirement arrives to move the truck.”

When a driver is placed out of service, the truck must remain stopped until a qualified operator takes over — a delay that can ripple through tightly scheduled supply chains.

“It definitely impacts operations… because the supply chain is delayed,” Castro said. “It’s not like officers say: ‘since you don’t speak English, just cross and come back.’ They must apply the regulations regardless.”

Companies invest in training and preparation

Larger carriers with binational operations say compliance now requires more formalized preparation.

Transportes Canales, or Trancasa, has institutionalized English courses by combining them with in-house programs and roping in other educational institutions. The company also operates a dedicated training department focused on preparing drivers for inspections.

“We have a school — a company that is part of our group — that provides English classes to our operators,” said Julia María Martínez, customer service and marketing manager at Trancasa. 

Martínez said U.S. authorities have been clear about expectations during inspections.

“CBP was very transparent… they said: we do not expect your driver to fully master the language. What matters is that the operator can respond to questions if an officer requires it,” she said. “It doesn’t matter if they answer in Spanish, but they must at least understand what they are being asked.”

Those questions typically cover destination, origin, type of cargo, and insurance.

Trancasa has incorporated those scenarios into its road-safety and signage courses, supported by an English instructor and a sister company that specializes in operator development. The updated course aligned with the regulation is scheduled to launch in January.

Driver shortages add pressure

Training efforts are unfolding alongside a long-standing shortage of qualified drivers.

“Hiring has been difficult for a long time,” Martínez said. “We have built partnerships with schools in Mexico and the U.S., and we are running strong campaigns on Facebook and TikTok to attract new drivers.”

Despite the challenge, Martínez said the border region offers a practical advantage.

“It hasn’t been a major obstacle… on the border it’s very easy to mix both languages,” she said. “If the operator doesn’t have English, we provide the tools — if they are willing to learn, we will train them.”

Small carriers feel the strain most

While large and mid-sized companies often operate with bilingual manuals, simulators, and structured training programs, Zamorano said smaller carriers and independent truckers face greater vulnerability.

“Where we see more vulnerability is among small companies… they are feeling this change much more,” he said. “This requires extensive training, workshops, simulations, and higher safety standards.”

Zamorano said language enforcement is only one factor in a year marked by compounding challenges, including roadway blockades, security concerns, tariff changes, slow bureaucratic processes, and shortages of license plates and required medical examinations.

In the Reynosa–Pharr corridor, he estimated freight movement has declined between 20% and 30% from previous levels as companies downsize and restructure operations.

“These are very difficult times… a complete restructuring of the landscape,” Zamorano said. “Before, we only looked at wait times and bridge lines. Today, we must consider wars, tariffs, exchange rates, blockades, protests, and highway insecurity.”