DETROIT — U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced Monday the emergency removal of more than 110 commercial driver training providers from the federal Training Provider Registry as the Trump administration expands a nationwide crackdown on fraud and safety violations in the commercial trucking industry.
The August 31, 2026 action targets Entry-Level Driver Training providers associated with more than 5,000 commercial drivers who subsequently failed federal English Language Proficiency requirements, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.
The affected providers must immediately cease operating as federally registered training providers. That includes providing classroom instruction, administering training curricula and conducting behind-the-wheel instruction under the federal program.
“You have to speak English to operate a commercial motor vehicle,” Duffy said while announcing the enforcement action. He emphasized that the English-language requirement predates both the Trump administration and his tenure as transportation secretary.
More Than 5,000 Drivers Linked to the Schools
FMCSA said investigators examined roadside inspection records involving commercial drivers cited for failing English Language Proficiency requirements. The agency then compared those drivers with its Training Provider Registry to determine which schools had certified significant numbers of drivers who subsequently failed the federal standard.
That analysis resulted in the emergency action against more than 110 training providers associated with over 5,000 such drivers.
Federal regulations require commercial drivers to have sufficient English proficiency to communicate with officials, understand inquiries and directions, make entries on reports and records, and understand highway traffic signs and signals.
The requirement itself is not new. USDOT says federal English-proficiency standards for commercial drivers have existed for decades. In August, FMCSA also announced proposed rulemaking intended to codify strengthened enforcement of the English Language Proficiency standard.
The distinction is important: the government is not saying that every school was removed solely because one of its former students failed an English test. FMCSA says it used roadside violations and registry information to identify providers repeatedly certifying drivers who failed to satisfy federal qualification requirements.
Investigation Uncovers Broader Problems
The emergency removals are only one part of a considerably larger investigation.
FMCSA sent 175 investigators into 40 states in July and conducted nearly 400 investigations of Entry-Level Driver Training providers. Investigators reported discovering schools with unlicensed instructors, inadequate facilities and missing assessment records.
One particularly unusual finding involved a provider that allegedly claimed its classroom was located inside a school bus situated in the back of a trailer.
Those investigations produced more than 160 additional notices of proposed removal from the federal Training Provider Registry.
According to FMCSA, drivers certified by those 160-plus providers have been linked to 239 commercial-motor-vehicle-related fatalities. That figure establishes an association with drivers certified by the providers; it does not, by itself, establish that training deficiencies caused each of those fatalities.
Nationwide Audit of CDL Testers
Duffy’s department is also turning its attention to the people who actually administer CDL skills tests.
FMCSA announced a nationwide audit of third-party CDL skills testers and state oversight of those testers.
Federal officials say more than 28,000 commercial drivers have been placed out of service for English-proficiency violations since June 2025. The administration argues that the scale of those violations raises questions about how some drivers were able to progress through training, testing and licensing despite failing to satisfy federal requirements.
States could face consequences if FMCSA determines that their CDL programs substantially fail to comply with federal requirements. Those consequences can ultimately include withholding federal highway funds and, in serious circumstances, decertification of a state’s CDL program.
DHS and Justice Department Join Crackdown
The operation extends well beyond the Department of Transportation.
On Monday, Homeland Security Investigations was scheduled to conduct a coordinated enforcement surge involving more than 200 driving schools across 23 states. Federal investigators are examining potential CDL fraud, identity-document fraud, unauthorized employment, financial crimes and other possible criminal activity.
Federal officials also announced the Joint Task Force Crossroads of America, bringing together federal, state and local authorities to investigate fraud and criminal activity involving the trucking industry.
The latest enforcement action follows a July partnership between USDOT and DHS targeting CDL schools suspected of falsifying training records, improperly certifying drivers or otherwise failing to provide required training.
Duffy Makes English Proficiency a Highway-Safety Issue
Duffy has made enforcement of commercial-driver English requirements a significant component of the administration’s highway-safety policy.
The administration argues that proficiency is not merely a language-policy question but a practical safety requirement for drivers responsible for operating extremely large commercial vehicles.
Truck drivers must be capable of understanding signs warning about steep grades, hazardous conditions, restricted routes and runaway-truck ramps. They must also be capable of communicating with police officers, inspectors and emergency personnel.
FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs has similarly argued that a driver who cannot understand critical road signs can present a direct highway-safety risk.
Monday’s action represents a significant escalation of that policy.
Instead of concentrating enforcement only on individual drivers who fail English-proficiency inspections, the federal government is now examining the entire chain through which commercial drivers are trained, tested and licensed.
That means training schools, instructors, third-party testers, trucking businesses and state licensing authorities can all face increased federal scrutiny.
For Duffy and the Trump administration, the central principle is straightforward: obtaining a commercial driver’s license should demonstrate that a driver has actually satisfied federal qualification and safety standards—not merely that the driver possesses the document.
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By L. Long, Staff Reporter contributed to this report.
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