Thousands of U.S. trucking schools could lose accreditation under DOT crackdown

"The DOT announced Monday it plans to revoke the accreditation of nearly 3,000 trucking schools unless they can comply with federal requirements within 30 days, and warned another 4,000 schools could face similar action. "We are reigning in illegal and reckless practices that let poorly trained drivers get behind the wheel of semi-trucks and school buses," said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy in a statement. The names of the targeted schools were not immediately released."

"The department accuses them of falsifying or manipulating training data, neglecting to meet required curriculum standards and instructor qualifications, and failing to maintain or share accurate records. The crackdown on trucking schools is part of the Trump administration's broader effort to make sure that drivers are qualified and eligible to hold a commercial driver's license or CDL. The DOT has also proposed significant new restrictions on which immigrants can get a CDL, but a federal appeals court put those rules on hold last month."

DOT will revoke accreditation of nearly 3,000 trucking schools and warned another 4,000 could face similar action. Those schools represent over 40% of the nation's 16,000 authorized training providers. The department accuses them of falsifying training data, failing curriculum and instructor standards, and not keeping accurate records. The crackdown aims to ensure drivers are properly qualified to hold commercial driver's licenses (CDLs). The DOT also proposed restrictions on immigrant eligibility for CDLs, but a federal appeals court put those rules on hold. Officials cite deadly crashes involving foreign-born truckers; critics say data do not support those claims and call the measures an immigration crackdown.

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