by US Government Shuts Down Over 550 Fake Truck and Bus Driver Schools
The US Department of Transportation has launched a large-scale operation to shut down more than 550 so-called “fake” training institutions that prepare commercial drivers. These schools, which issue commercial driver’s licenses, violated the standards of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and may now be removed from the national registry of training providers.
Among the key violations identified by inspectors:
Scale of the Operation and Consequences
During a five-day campaign involving over 300 investigators, more than 1,400 inspections were conducted across all 50 states. As a result, 109 schools voluntarily removed themselves from the registry, and 448 received notices of proposed removal for failing to meet basic safety standards.
We are putting up a roadblock to CDL ‘diploma mills’. Unqualified drivers have NO place on our roads, and we are demanding higher standards from the industry! It’s time to put an end to this.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy stated that the trucking industry has functioned for too long as a “Wild West” where anything goes and no one asks too many questions. He emphasized that his team is “hitting every link in the trucking chain that allowed this lawlessness to impact the safety of American roads.”
Part of a Broader Safety Initiative
This latest action is part of a larger initiative aimed at improving truck driver safety. Last year, the government focused on drivers who are not sufficiently proficient in English to respond to official inquiries and understand road signs.
More recently, the Department of Transportation made changes to stop unqualified foreigners from obtaining licenses to operate commercial trucks and buses. This effort is primarily focused on data verification and control of employment authorization documents.
These systematic actions by regulators point to a deep, systemic problem in the commercial driver training industry that has been forming for years. Ensuring that every large truck or bus driver undergoes quality training and assessment is critical to the safety of millions of people who take to the road every day. Raising training standards could also help improve the profession’s reputation and working conditions in this economically vital sector.
