WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced that more than 550 commercial driver’s license training schools found in violation of federal safety standards have received notices of proposed removal from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s National Training Provider Registry.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the FMCSA mobilized more than 300 investigators across all 50 states and conducted 1,426 on-site investigations over a five-day period, including more than 1,400 sting operations.

As a result of the enforcement effort:

• 448 notices of proposed removal were issued to schools that failed to meet basic federal safety standards.

• 109 training providers voluntarily removed themselves from the Training Provider Registry after learning investigators were en route.

• An additional 97 training providers remain under investigation for compliance issues.

Federal officials said noncompliant schools lacked qualified instructors, used fake addresses, failed to properly train drivers on hazardous materials transportation, and committed other serious violations. One of the schools removed for violating safety standards had previously provided training for school bus drivers.

Common violations identified during the investigations included:

• Unqualified instructors: Some teachers did not hold the correct licenses or permits for the vehicles they were instructing students to operate, including school buses.

• Improper training vehicles: Schools used vehicles that did not match the type of training being offered.

• Incomplete student assessments: Providers failed to properly test students on required competencies.

• State-level noncompliance: Some schools admitted they did not meet their own state’s training requirements.

“For too long, the trucking industry has operated like the Wild, Wild West, where anything goes and nobody asks any questions. The buck stops with me,” said Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy. “Under President Trump, my team is cracking down on every link in the trucking chain that has allowed this lawlessness to impact the safety of America’s roads. 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.”

FMCSA Administrator Derek D. Barrs said the agency took direct action to ensure compliance.

“We mobilized hundreds of investigators to visit these schools in person to ensure strict compliance with federal safety standards,” Barrs said. “If a school isn't using the right vehicles or if their instructors aren't qualified, they have no business training the next generation of truckers or school bus drivers.”

Federal officials say the enforcement effort is part of a broader crackdown on CDL training providers that fail to meet national safety standards.

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