Cracking down on undocumented truck drivers. It’s what both the Arkansas House of Representatives and the Arkansas Senate are debating as they consider two bills to get tougher on truckers who are in the U.S. illegally.
FreightWaves reported one bill is known as the “Secure Roads and Safe Trucking Act of 2025,” and would fine truckers without sufficient English proficiency $5,000. Another bill would create harsher penalties for drivers operating without a valid CDL, including a fine of $5,000 and impoundment of their motor vehicle.
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Arkansas House Bill 1569 (HB1569), filed in February, calls for commercial motor vehicle drivers operating in the state to “demonstrate proficiency in the English language.”
These drivers must be able to “read road signs and warning signs,” “understand traffic control devices” and “communicate effectively in an emergency” with emergency services, law enforcement and other drivers.
The bill, named the “Secure Roads and Safe Trucking Act of 2025,” would fine truckers without sufficient English proficiency $5,000.
HB1569 also calls for harsher penalties for drivers operating without a valid CDL, including a fine of $5,000 and impoundment of their motor vehicle. In addition, it would stiffen laws against undocumented drivers who injure another person while operating their vehicle, making it a Class D felony carrying a minimum six-month prison sentence.
