Federal transportation officials are removing more than 110 commercial driver training schools from a federal registry and targeting another 160-plus schools for removal as part of a broad new crackdown on fraud in the trucking industry.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the enforcement actions Monday in Detroit, appearing alongside Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Administrator Derek Barrs, federal prosecutors and members of the White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.

"What we are announcing is an emergency executive shutdown of 110 driving schools," Duffy said during the news conference. "These are driving schools that account for 5,000 of the violations for English proficiency."

The move puts the training side of the industry under direct federal pressure. Entry-level driver training has been required since February 2022, when FMCSA rules took effect mandating that new CDL holders complete instruction from a provider listed on the agency's Training Provider Registry — the same registry from which these schools are now being removed. The enforcement therefore targets the pipeline that feeds qualified drivers into a freight sector that moves the large majority of U.S. domestic goods by tonnage.

Beyond the school removals, the initiative includes a nationwide audit of third-party CDL skills testers, a Homeland Security Investigations sweep targeting more than 200 driving schools across 23 states, and a new Justice Department task force focused on trucking-related fraud and criminal activity in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois.

DOT did not release a complete list of the 110 commercial driver training schools removed, or the 160 schools being targeted for removal. Three CDL schools were specifically identified during the news conference:

• Platinum Plus Truck Driving School — California. FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs said the school certified 36 drivers who were subsequently cited for English-language proficiency violations. According to Barrs, one of those trainees was involved in a fatal crash in Oklahoma.

• ASC Technical Institute — Texas. Barrs said the school certified 58 drivers later cited for English-language proficiency violations. He said one trainee subsequently ran a stop sign and killed a man in Texas.

• Angel's Transportation — New Jersey. This school appears to fall into the 160-plus proposed-removal group rather than the 110 emergency removals. Barrs said its training was conducted in a parking lot that was too small for students to perform required maneuvers.

Duffy said federal officials identified 10 skills testers in one state who collectively issued more than 2,000 CDLs to people who subsequently could not meet English-language requirements.

"We have 10 skill testers who have given over 2,000 driver's licenses to people who can't speak English," Duffy said. "This is the simplest of tests."

DOT said more than 28,000 commercial drivers have been placed out of service for English-language proficiency violations since June 2025, a figure the agency said indicates failures among third-party testers and state oversight programs.

The crackdown also broadens the federal government's investigation of potential criminal activity involving the trucking industry. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) said it has received more than 1,000 leads involving CDL-related businesses suspected of unsafe practices or transportation-sector exploitation. Investigators are examining potential CDL fraud, unauthorized employment, identity-document fraud, money laundering, labor exploitation and possible connections to human smuggling, drug trafficking and cartel activity.

On Monday, HSI planned a synchronized enforcement surge involving more than 200 driving schools across 23 states. Federal investigators have already issued more than 80 notices of inspection and opened multiple investigations involving suspected fraudulent CDL issuance, unauthorized employment, identity fraud and shell companies, according to DOT.

The Justice Department also announced the creation of the Joint Task Force Crossroads of America, bringing together all nine U.S. attorneys' offices in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. The task force will work with DOT, FMCSA, FBI, DEA, HSI, ICE, ATF and state and local authorities to pursue trucking fraud and other criminal activity along major Midwest freight corridors.

The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) praised the crackdown, saying stronger oversight of CDL training and English-language proficiency requirements is necessary to improve highway safety. The group has long argued that "CDL mills" undercut trained, law-abiding drivers by flooding the market with improperly licensed ones.

"Nobody cares more about highway safety than professional truck drivers," OOIDA President Todd Spencer said in a statement to FreightWaves. "OOIDA and professional truck drivers across America commend Secretary Duffy and Administrator Barrs for taking concrete actions to crack down on fraudulent training operations and restore rigorous English language proficiency enforcement."

Spencer also called on Congress to pass Dalilah's Law, saying the legislation would help "ensure CDL mills remain closed" and make English-language proficiency enforcement permanent.

The enforcement push expands the government's CDL crackdown upstream from individual drivers to the schools, testers and businesses responsible for training, licensing and employing them. Watch next for the outcome of the third-party tester audit, the disposition of the 160-plus proposed removals, and whether Congress acts on Dalilah's Law — all of which will determine whether the crackdown becomes a lasting change in how commercial drivers are trained and licensed.

Source: FreightWaves