Federal agencies launched a nationwide trucking fraud crackdown Monday, removing more than 110 commercial driver’s license training providers from a federal registry and targeting more than 200 driving schools and related businesses across 23 states.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and federal prosecutors announced the coordinated actions in Detroit.
FMCSA removes 110+ providers
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration identified more than 110 entry-level driver training providers after comparing roadside inspection records with its Training Provider Registry.
FMCSA said the providers repeatedly certified drivers who later failed federal English language proficiency requirements. The agency tied the providers to more than 5,000 drivers who failed those tests and ordered the schools to stop certified training immediately.
FMCSA also proposed removing more than 160 additional providers after 175 investigators conducted nearly 400 investigations across 40 states in July.
Investigators found unlicensed instructors, missing training records and locations without enough space for required driving maneuvers. One provider claimed its classroom operated inside a school bus sitting on a trailer.
The agency said the 160-plus providers had certified drivers linked to 239 commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities. FMCSA did not say the training deficiencies caused those deaths.
DHS targets fraud, illegal alien drivers
Homeland Security Investigations launched a national effort targeting suspected CDL fraud, unauthorized employment, identity-document fraud, money laundering, labor exploitation and possible links to human smuggling, drug trafficking and cartel activity.
HSI planned an August 31 surge involving more than 200 driving schools and related businesses across 23 states. The agency has distributed more than 1,000 leads and issued more than 80 notices of inspection.
ICE’s Operation Guardrail specifically targets illegal aliens who hold CDLs.
Nationwide CDL audit begins
FMCSA also launched a nationwide audit of third-party CDL skills testers and the states that oversee them.
Federal rules require CDL skills tests in English. Since June 2025, federal officials have ordered more than 28,000 commercial drivers out of service for English language proficiency violations.
The Justice Department also formed Joint Task Force Crossroads of America, linking federal prosecutors in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio with federal, state and local law enforcement.
The crackdown follows similar scrutiny in Texas. In April, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton opened a statewide investigation into five trucking-school entities over allegations that they provided inadequate commercial driver training and certified drivers who may not meet federal English language and safety requirements, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Provided by Dallas Express
