Transportation Department says more than 550 driving schools must close over safety failures

More than 550 commercial driving schools in the United States are facing closure after federal investigators uncovered serious safety violations, the Transportation Department announced Wednesday. The crackdown targets schools that train truck and bus drivers but have failed to meet basic safety standards.

Federal inspectors conducted 1,426 site visits in December, identifying 448 schools with significant deficiencies. Another 109 schools preemptively removed themselves from the federal registry upon learning that inspections were planned. The violations included employing unqualified instructors, failing to properly test students’ skills, inadequate training for handling hazardous materials, and using improper equipment.

“American families should have confidence that our school bus and truck drivers are following every letter of the law and that starts with receiving proper training before getting behind the wheel,” said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy.

This enforcement action represents the Trump administration’s latest effort to improve safety in the trucking industry. Unlike previous decertifications that largely targeted defunct operations, this initiative specifically addresses active schools with documented safety issues. An additional 97 schools remain under investigation for compliance problems.

The move comes in the wake of several fatal crashes involving commercial drivers. In August, a truck driver who officials say wasn’t authorized to be in the U.S. made an illegal U-turn in Florida, causing a crash that killed three people. A more recent collision in Indiana resulted in four fatalities, further intensifying regulatory scrutiny.

Industry experts note that the lack of rigorous oversight has been a longstanding issue. Schools and trucking companies can essentially self-certify when applying to begin operations, with problematic practices often going undetected until federal audits occur.

Jeffery Burkhardt, chair of the Commercial Vehicle Training Association and senior director of operations at Ancora, welcomed the enforcement effort. “The good players have no problem with it. Absolutely none,” said Burkhardt, whose organization represents larger, more established schools. He noted that these audits mark the first time regulators have enforced training standards passed in 2022.

While the Transportation Department hasn’t yet specified how many students were enrolled at the decertified schools or how many graduated with questionable qualifications, officials indicated they may follow up on these graduates in the future. Burkhardt expressed hope that most unqualified drivers were filtered out during state-administered skills tests required before commercial licenses are issued.

The trucking industry faces unique workforce challenges, with high turnover rates making it difficult to maintain adequate staffing levels. Despite a recent 10% drop in shipments due to economic uncertainty, many companies still struggle to find well-qualified drivers with clean records.

Both the American Trucking Association and the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association praised the government’s decisive action. Todd Spencer, President of the independent owners group, said reliance on substandard schools has “fueled a destructive churn” in the industry.

“Rather than fix retention problems and working conditions, some in the industry chose to cut corners and push undertrained drivers onto the road. That approach has undermined safety and devalued the entire trucking profession,” Spencer said.

The Transportation Department has also taken aim at state licensing practices, threatening to withhold federal funding from states that fail to properly administer their commercial driver’s license programs. California has already lost $160 million in federal funding, while Illinois faces the potential loss of $128 million after a recent audit found problems with nearly 20% of reviewed licenses.

The most common issues uncovered in state audits include licenses that remained valid after an immigrant’s authorization to be in the U.S. expired and instances where states couldn’t demonstrate they had verified a driver’s immigration status. Similar problems have been identified in ten states so far, including North Carolina, Pennsylvania, New York, Minnesota, South Dakota, and Texas.

The administration has also mandated that truck drivers meet English proficiency standards as part of its broader safety initiative.