Strict Inspections in the USA: Operation SafeDRIVE Led to Nearly 2,000 Out-of-Service Orders

On February 6, 2026, the U.S. Department of Transportation published the results of the large-scale commercial transport inspection Operation SafeDRIVE, which in three days led to nearly 2,000 orders to remove drivers and vehicles from service. The campaign became one of the toughest since the beginning of the year and immediately attracted industry attention due to its focus on English language proficiency and compliance with basic safety requirements.

According to a statement released by the U.S. Department of Transportation, the operation took place from January 13 to 15, 2026, covering 26 states and the District of Columbia. In total, inspectors conducted 8,215 inspections, resulting in 704 drivers and 1,231 commercial vehicles being deemed unsafe for further operation and temporarily removed from service. Thus, the total number of out-of-service orders approached the 2,000 mark.

U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy, commenting on the results of the operation, emphasized that the goal of such raids is not fines for statistics, but the immediate elimination of threats on the roads. According to him, unsafe trucks and unprepared drivers "should not be on American roads until violations are corrected." This statement was made on February 6, 2026, in an official press release from the department dedicated to the results of Operation SafeDRIVE (source: U.S. Department of Transportation).

Special attention during the inspections was paid to English language proficiency requirements. Nearly 500 drivers were removed from service for this reason alone. This concerns non-compliance with the federal requirement that a commercial vehicle driver must be able to read and understand road signs, communicate with inspectors, and fill out basic documents in English.

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) head Derek Barrs noted that such violations are directly related to safety risks. In his statement, also published on February 6, 2026, it is emphasized that "a driver's inability to effectively communicate with law enforcement and understand instructions on the road poses a direct threat to all road users."

FMCSA separately clarifies that the responsibility for checking language proficiency lies not only with the driver but also with the carrier. The agency's official guidelines state that when hiring and allowing a driver to work, the company must ensure that he is capable of communicating in English to the extent necessary for the safe operation of commercial transport and interaction with inspectors (source: FMCSA guidelines on assessing drivers' English proficiency).

From a law enforcement perspective, such violations fall into the out-of-service category and require immediate correction. The Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA), which develops uniform inspection criteria for inspectors nationwide, previously clarified that non-compliance with language requirements is considered a factor directly affecting traffic safety. In such cases, the driver is not allowed to continue the trip until the violation is corrected in accordance with the current out-of-service criteria (source: CVSA clarifications on out-of-service criteria).

Operation SafeDRIVE has demonstrated that in 2026, federal and regional authorities are focusing on targeted, short-term, but intensive inspections. For drivers and carriers, this is a signal to pre-check compliance with basic requirements — from the technical condition of the transport to the driver's qualifications and communication skills — as the consequences of identified violations are immediate and tangible.