On December 1, 2025, the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced a sweeping crackdown on the nation’s trucking schools, threatening to revoke the accreditation of nearly half of all commercial driver’s license (CDL) training providers across the country. The move, which could force thousands of schools to close their doors, marks one of the most significant regulatory shakeups in the American trucking industry in decades, aiming to root out what officials describe as widespread fraud and substandard training practices.
According to USDOT, nearly 3,000 CDL training providers have already been removed from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Training Provider Registry (TPR) for “failing to equip trainees with the Trump Administration’s standards of readiness.” An additional 4,500 schools were issued warnings for potential non-compliance, given just 30 days to prove they meet federal requirements or face similar removal. Prior to the crackdown, the TPR listed approximately 16,000 authorized CDL training providers nationwide.
The reasons for the removals are serious: USDOT cited falsification or manipulation of training data, failure to meet curriculum standards, inadequate facility conditions, lack of instructor qualifications, and refusal to provide required records during audits or investigations. Schools that lose their certification will no longer be able to issue the certificates that drivers need to obtain a commercial license, leading many students to abandon those institutions. The Transportation Department also requires schools to notify their students if their accreditation is at risk, a move likely to accelerate student departures from non-compliant programs.
“This administration is cracking down on every link in the illegal trucking chain. Under Joe Biden and Pete Buttigieg, bad actors were able to game the system and let unqualified drivers flood our roadways. Their negligence endangered every family on America’s roadways, and it ends today,” declared U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy in a statement. “Under President Trump, we are reigning in illegal and reckless practices that let poorly trained drivers get behind the wheel of semi-trucks and school buses.” FMCSA Administrator Derek D. Barrs echoed the sentiment, stating, “If you are unwilling to follow the rules, you have no place training America’s commercial drivers. We will not tolerate negligence.”
The crackdown comes amid growing concern over the safety risks posed by inadequately trained truck drivers. The issue was thrust into the national spotlight after a tragic crash on the Florida Turnpike, in which truck driver Harjinder Singh attempted an illegal U-turn, resulting in the deaths of three people. The incident prompted renewed scrutiny of both driver qualifications and the schools that certify them. Transportation Secretary Duffy has cited such cases as justification for the new enforcement push, arguing that “illegal and reckless practices” must be stamped out to protect the public.
Industry groups have largely welcomed the move. The Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA) has long advocated for stricter oversight, warning that allowing CDL training providers to self-certify invites fraud and undermines road safety. “When training standards are weak, or in some instances totally non-existent, drivers are unprepared, and everyone on the road pays the price. FMCSA’s crackdown on fraudulent CDL training providers is a necessary and overdue step to restore accountability to the ELDT system. Professional truckers across America appreciate that Secretary Duffy and Administrator Barrs are listening to the men and women behind the wheel and taking concrete action to raise professional standards and improve safety on our roadways,” said Todd Spencer, OOIDA President.
Andrew Poliakoff, executive director of the Commercial Vehicle Training Association, which represents 100 schools with 400 locations, explained that many of the schools being decertified were so-called “CDL mills” that promised to train drivers in just a few days—far short of the month-long, comprehensive programs offered by reputable institutions. “Trucking is an outstanding career. And the people who are not familiar with the industry might see someone charging $1,000 or $2,000 for a long weekend or quick training. And they may think that that’s desirable, but that’s really not,” Poliakoff told the Associated Press. He described such operations as “fleecing people out of money” while failing to provide the skills necessary to pass licensing exams or succeed in the industry.
But not everyone is cheering the crackdown. Immigrant drivers, particularly those from the Sikh community, say they are being unfairly targeted by the new policies. The North American Punjabi Truckers Association estimates that Sikhs make up about 40% of truck drivers on the West Coast and 20% nationwide—some 150,000 drivers in all. Advocacy groups like UNITED SIKHS have reported an uptick in harassment and aggressive audits of immigrant-owned trucking firms. “Sikh and immigrant truckers with spotless records are being treated like suspects while they keep America’s freight moving,” the UNITED SIKHS group said. “When federal agencies frame lawful, licensed drivers as risks, it doesn’t improve safety—it fuels xenophobia, harassment, and even violence on the road. Any policy built on fear instead of facts endangers families, civil rights, and the national supply chain.”
The Department of Homeland Security has opened its own investigations, auditing California trucking firms owned by immigrants to verify the status and qualifications of their drivers. In California, state officials moved to revoke 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses after federal authorities raised concerns that they had been improperly issued to immigrants or allowed to remain valid beyond the expiration of work permits. Secretary Duffy has gone so far as to threaten to withhold federal highway funding from states like California, Pennsylvania, and Minnesota if they do not address what he describes as shortcomings in their commercial driver’s license programs. “We take safety on our roads seriously and the Minnesota Department of Public Safety has already worked to ensure we are in compliance with federal law,” said a spokeswoman for Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.
Notably, every state Duffy has threatened with funding cuts has been led by Democrats, though he has also indicated that audits are underway in Republican-led states like Texas and South Dakota. The crackdown has intensified debates over federal versus state oversight and the role of immigration status in determining driver eligibility. While supporters argue that raising standards is essential to public safety, critics warn that overzealous enforcement could exacerbate the existing shortage of truck drivers and disrupt the national supply chain.
Paul J. Enos, CEO of the Nevada Trucking Association, summed up the industry’s cautious optimism: “Bad actors who exploit loopholes in our regulatory systems are putting everyone at risk. This is unacceptable. We are focused on solutions and resolute on seeing them implemented.”
As the 30-day window for compliance ticks down, the fate of thousands of trucking schools—and the livelihoods of countless drivers—hangs in the balance. The USDOT’s crackdown may reshape the future of American trucking, but the debate over how best to balance safety, fairness, and economic necessity is far from settled.
