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U.S. expands crackdown on CDL training school fraud

Updated 2 times since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-09-03 04:41 UTC → 2026-09-05 03:36 UTC · added removed

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have expanded their interagency crackdown on commercial driver license (CDL) fraud, moving to shut down a total of 270 driving schools. While 110 schools were initially targeted for failing to enforce English-language proficiency requirements, an additional 160 institutions were closed due to the use of unlicensed instructors or inadequate facilities, such as a lack of training classrooms. This enforcement push follows reports linking drivers certified by these institutions to 239 commercial vehicle fatalities. DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin noted that a lack of English proficiency and understanding of road rules among some unlicensed drivers poses a “significant danger to public safety.” The administration is also initiating a nationwide audit of state oversight efforts and third-party CDL skills testers. Recent closures include the Fifth Wheel Commercial Driving School in Kent, Washington, along with several institutions in California, Texas, Pennsylvania, Florida, Oregon, and Idaho, as well as 23 online schools with no physical location. This initiative remains part of a broader strategy involving the Department of Justice and the ‘Joint Task Force Crossroads of America’ to combat the illegal issuance of licenses to unqualified individuals through fraudulent means. Federal officials report that in the last 18 months, the USDOT has removed over 28,000 drivers for failing English proficiency, forced the cancellation of over 30,000 illegally issued licenses, and purged more than 8,000 unqualified schools from the FMCSA registry. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy indicated that the ‘Joint Task Force Crossroads of America’—a collaboration involving the FBI, DEA, ICE, and state attorneys’ offices—may also target trucking companies that hire underqualified drivers.

Versions

  1. 2026-09-05 03:36 UTC U.S. expands crackdown on CDL training school fraud
  2. 2026-09-03 04:41 UTC U.S. expands crackdown on CDL training school fraud
  3. 2026-09-02 21:56 UTC U.S. federal crackdown on CDL training schools

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