by WorldTribune Staff, February 27, 2026 Real World News
A Somali national who received a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) from the state of Minnesota was caught on video driving an “80-ton truck” the wrong way down a Missouri highway, authorities said.
When finally pulled over by police, the driver was found to have a valid CDL license but failed an English proficiency test and wasn’t able to read road signs. Fortunately, no one was injured and no accidents occurred before police stopped the driver.
The trucker was filmed driving south in the northbound lanes on Highway 61 near Troy, about 55 miles outside of St. Louis, at 8 a.m. Wednesday before finally crossing over and heading the right way, video shared by U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on X shows.
Duffy confirmed that the “dangerous trucker is now out of service.”
Missouri State Highway Patrol troopers discovered that the trucker was behind the wheel despite being unable to identify basic road signs.
During the traffic stop, police said the “driver was unable to complete the English proficiency test,” Sgt. Dallas Thompson said.
“In Missouri, they have to be able to understand English, take the test in English, and pass the road sign test here,” Thompson said, adding that state and federal regulations mandate English proficiency for commercial drivers.
The Trump Administration’s announced last April that it would mandate that all CDL examinations be administered in English to address concerns regarding language comprehension among drivers.
In August, an Indian immigrant truck driver accused of killing three people in a Florida crash allegedly flunked an English proficiency and road sign tests.
Although commercial drivers were already required to demonstrate English proficiency to obtain a CDL, some states administered exams in multiple languages.
Last week, New York announced it would no longer grant commercial driver’s licenses to non-citizens following a Trump Administration directive
More than 14,000 truckers have been taken out of service for failing basic requirements after Trump signed an executive order designating English as the official language, according to the Department of Transportation.
🚨🚨 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!
— Secretary Sean Duffy (@SecDuffy) February 26, 2026
Thanks to Missouri law enforcement, this dangerous trucker is now out of service. @FMCSA is also investigating the… https://t.co/uaghZPwnUS
