The Trump administration has announced the emergency shutdown of 270 commercial driver’s license (CDL) schools in an effort to crack down on illegal practices in the trucking industry.
“These schools are passing off these CDLs to people who haven’t earned them,” FTC Chairman and White House Task Force to Eliminate Fraud Vice Chair Andrew Ferguson said during a press conference. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy joined Ferguson.
Schools Shut Down For Several Violations
According to Sec. Duffy, the coalition shut down 110 CDL schools accounting for 5,000 English Proficiency violations.
Sec. Duffy also announced the shutdown of 160 CDL schools for falsely claiming to have the appropriate means to train their students.
Despite having certifications that qualify them to train truck drivers, Sec. Duffy revealed that these institutions don’t have classrooms or adequate space for their students to drive.
In addition to falsely having space to train, Sec. Duffy shared that these schools also had unlicensed instructors.
“You have instructors who are uncertified, who are allegedly training the new truck drivers to operate on American roadways,” Sec. Duffy affirmed.
CDL Fraud in Florida
The Trump administration’s crack down comes amid a series of fatal crashes involving noncitizen truck drivers, including a 2025 Fort Pierce, Florida, crash that killed three people.
Additionally, Miami-Dade County officials recently announced the arrest of three individuals for their involvement in an alleged fraud scheme to obtain CDL licenses.
Matthew Howard Jr., Keith Garrod Jones and Vanessa Erika Roberts have been charged with Official Misconduct and Unlawful Compensation or Reward for Official Behavior.
According to officials, Howard and Jones, both employees of the Miami-Dade County Water and Sewer Department, failed to pass both the knowledge and skill exams for a CDL.
The duo, however, allegedly paid Roberts to bypass those requirements. At the time, Roberts was an employee of the Tax Collector’s office.
