U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has announced the emergency closure of 110 commercial driver’s license (CDL) schools linked to more than 5,000 drivers who failed English-language proficiency tests as part of a broader crackdown on trucking-industry fraud.
Duffy said the closures target schools identified through an analysis matching roadside inspection citations to training records. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) also shut down 160 additional schools for inadequate training facilities or unlicensed instructors, and Duffy said 239 deaths have been linked to drivers not proficient in English since the administration began examining the issue.
The department separately launched a nationwide audit of state-run third-party CDL skills-testing programs, working with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Duffy said investigators found 10 examiners in one state who issued more than 2,000 licenses to drivers who later failed English requirements, and identified California, New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Virginia as states with problematic issuance patterns. States found noncompliant could lose up to 4% of federal highway funds, with penalties doubling annually, or face CDL decertification.
IAM Member Impact: Members in the United States relying on contracted or owner-operator CDL drivers should confirm those drivers’ training providers and licensing states aren’t among those facing federal scrutiny, particularly in the five states named by FMCSA.
Source: Transport Topics