Thousands of CDL training providers removed from federal registry

“If you are unwilling to follow the rules, you have no place training America’s commercial drivers,” Derek Barrs, administrator of the motor carrier administration, said in a release. “We will not tolerate negligence.”

Barrs’ agency is reviewing 16,000 training providers on the registry. Those removed are cited for “falsifying or manipulating training data; neglecting to meet required curriculum standards, facility conditions or instructor qualifications; and failing to maintain accurate, complete documentation or refusing to provide records during federal audits or investigations.”

In a statement, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said, “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. 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.”

The registry is a place for prospective CDL drivers to find federally required entry-level driver training for the CDL students.

The motor carrier administration is charged with a mission “to prevent crashes, fatalities, and injuries involving large trucks and buses. FMCSA develops safety and regulatory standards for commercial driver’s licenses; analyzes data and sponsors research; and conducts enforcement and education.”

California, Pennsylvania and Minnesota are states with federal money authorized by the Duffy’s Department of Transportation being threatened in a tie to CDLs. Texas and South Dakota are also on the audit list.

An August triple fatal crash in Florida involving an 18-wheeler was pivotal in the Sept. 26 announcement of the Restoring Integrity to the Issuance of Non-Domiciled Commercial Drivers Licenses' Interim Final Rule. Litigation has it on hold. And an October triple fatal crash in California involving an 18-wheeler gave more spotlight to highway safety and CDLs.

At least seven proposals, according to TCS research, are idling in the two chambers of Congress.

Todd Spencer, president of the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association, said of Monday's announcement, "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."