Help us, Sean Duffy — you’re our only hope!
A commercial truck driver holding a Minnesota-issued commercial driver’s license was pulled over after driving an “80-ton truck” the wrong way for miles on Highway 61 near Troy, Missouri, authorities said, reigniting scrutiny of federal and state language proficiency standards for CDL holders.
Video shared by U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy shows the semi traveling southbound in northbound lanes before crossing over and continuing the correct direction, a scenario federal officials described as “disturbing.”
🚨🚨 DISTURBING: We have learned that a truck driver with a Minnesota CDL who couldn't read basic road signs spent MILES driving the wrong way in an 80 TON truck!
Thanks to Missouri law enforcement, this dangerous trucker is now out of service. @FMCSA is also investigating the… https://t.co/uaghZPwnUS
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) February 26, 2026
Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers stopped the driver Wednesday morning without any reported crash or injuries and cited him for wrong-way driving before placing him out of service, according to local reports.
Authorities said the driver — identified in reports as a Somali national licensed in Minnesota and employed by Cargo Transportation LLC — exhibited no signs of impairment or medical issues but failed an English proficiency test during the traffic stop.
Sgt. Dallas Thompson of the Missouri State Highway Patrol told reporters the driver was “unable to complete the English proficiency test,” which is required under both state and federal regulations to ensure commercial drivers can understand highway signs and communicate with law enforcement.
“In Missouri, they have to be able to understand English, take the test in English, and pass the road sign test here,” Thompson said, noting language comprehension is a safety requirement for operating commercial vehicles.
The Minnesota Department of Public Safety confirmed that all commercial driver’s license (CDL) and commercial learner’s permit (CLP) applicants in the state must take knowledge and driving tests in English to demonstrate the ability to safely operate a commercial vehicle under federal rule (CFR 383).
Federal transportation officials, including the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation, have opened investigations into how the driver obtained and maintained a CDL despite failing to meet basic language requirements, Duffy posted.
The incident comes amid broader federal efforts under the Trump administration to tighten CDL language standards, mandating that all CDL exams be conducted in English to ensure drivers can read road signs and communicate properly — a rule leaders said is essential for public safety.
Officials emphasized that an 80-ton commercial vehicle traveling the wrong way on a divided highway could have resulted in a catastrophic crash, underscoring concerns about enforcing and verifying driver qualifications.
The Somali driver remains out of service, and Minnesota’s Department of Public Safety has launched its own review of licensing practices. Officials stressed that failure to demonstrate English proficiency is grounds for denying or revoking a CDL under federal and state law.
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