Trump Admin Orders 270 Trucking Schools Shut Over CDL Fraud.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Monday ordered the emergency removal of 110 CDL schools from the federal Training Provider Registry, forcing them to cease operations immediately. A further 160 schools were suspended for failing to meet facility and instructor standards.
- 110 schools collectively trained more than 5,000 drivers later cited for English-proficiency violations.
- 160 additional schools were suspended for unlicensed instructors, missing classrooms, or inadequate driving space.
- 40% of 400 inspected training providers failed to meet federal rules, FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs said.
- Nearly 30,000 drivers have been placed out of service for English-proficiency violations nationwide.
Why it matters: Federal officials linked fraudulent CDL certification to specific fatal crashes. FMCSA Administrator Barrs said Platinum Plus Truck Driving School in California certified 36 drivers later cited for language violations, one of whom killed a person in Oklahoma. ASC Technical Institute in Texas certified 58 such drivers; one ran a stop sign and killed a man.
- Duffy said 239 people died in crashes caused by non-English-speaking truck drivers since January 2025.
- Liability insurance premiums in commercial trucking rose 18.6% from 2021 to 2024, according to the American Transportation Research Institute.
How 28 sources split on this story
Right coverage, 23 sources: The right frames the closures as a long-overdue correction to Biden-era leniency, tying fraudulent CDL schools directly to illegal immigration, sanctuary-city policies, and preventable American deaths.
New York Post1w+Trump admin orders 270 trucking schools to shutter in crackdown on licensing of illiterate, illegal immigrant drivers
RedState1w+New: Trump Team Shutters 270 Driving Schools Granting Illegal CDLsTCSThe Center Square1w+Feds shut down New York, New Jersey CDL schools
The Epoch Times1w+270 Commercial Driving Schools Closed After Thousands of Failed English Tests
Townhall1w+Watch DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin Rip Apart This Lib Reporter Illegal CDL Drivers' Licenses
American Greatness1w+Hundreds of Fraudulent Truck Driving Schools Shut Down, 800+ Dangerous Truckers Taken off the Roads Amid DHS, DOT Crackdown › American Greatness
Breitbart News1w+Sean Duffy: Feds Shut Down 270 Truck Driving Schools After 239 Deaths
Conservative Treehouse1w+Dept of Transportation and DHS Hold Press Conference to Announce Emergency Action on Commercial Driver's License Revocation - The Last Refuge
Hot Air1w+Sec. Duffy Continues Shutting Down the Illegitimate CDL School PipelineLILegal Insurrection1w+Duffy Orders Emergency Shutdown of 110 Truck Driving Schools
NTD1w+Trump Admin Shuts Down 270 Training Schools In Nationwide Trucking Crackdown
One America News1w+Trump admin orders 110 CDL schools to shut down over English proficiency failuresWhat’s next: FMCSA and Homeland Security Investigations will conduct a nationwide audit of state-authorized CDL skills testers.
- The DOJ launched Joint Task Force Crossroads of America, covering U.S. attorneys in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio.
- Duffy said states that fail to oversee testers and enforce federal standards could face federal consequences.
- How will the closure of 270 schools affect CDL training capacity and driver supply in affected states?
- Which, if any, state officials will face federal action for failing to enforce English-proficiency requirements?
- What process exists for schools to contest removal from the Training Provider Registry?