On August 31, 2026, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced action against about 270 commercial driver’s license (CDL) training schools, in what federal officials described as a crackdown on training fraud. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin joined the announcement. According to Heavy Duty Trucking, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) removed 110 training providers from its Training Provider Registry on an emergency basis and sent notices of proposed removal to more than 160 others.
Accounts of the action differ in wording. The American Trucking Associations, which welcomed the move the same day, described it as a joint operation by the Transportation and Homeland Security departments that permanently closed 270 fraudulent CDL schools. Heavy Duty Trucking reports that the schools that received proposed-removal notices have an opportunity to respond before their removal is final.
The reasons cited include instructors without the proper licenses, facilities inadequate for the required vehicle maneuvers, and missing training and assessment records. Officials linked the 110 providers removed outright to about 5,000 English-language proficiency violations, according to press reports of the announcement.
The registry lists the providers authorized to give the entry-level driver training that new CDL applicants must complete. Heavy Duty Trucking puts the latest step in a longer series: about 8,000 providers have been removed from the registry over the past 18 months, including nearly 3,000 in December 2025, and more than 550 received proposed-removal notices in February 2026. It also reports that 28,000 commercial drivers have been placed out of service for English-language proficiency violations since June 2025, that Homeland Security is investigating suspected CDL fraud, and that the Justice Department has formed a task force covering Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio.
What it means for shippers
- Fewer new drivers are entering the market. Every provider removed from the registry is one less route to a CDL. Combined with drivers placed out of service, that reduces the supply of trucks at the margin and supports higher rates.
- Driver qualification is a service issue. A driver placed out of service at a roadside inspection cannot continue, and the load waits. Carriers that hire and qualify drivers carefully are less exposed to that kind of delay.
- Ask how drivers are qualified. It is reasonable to ask a carrier or broker how it checks licenses, medical certificates and training before a driver is assigned to your freight.
- Be wary of rates far below the market. When enforcement removes operators that did not meet the rules, the lowest quotes on a lane may disappear with them. Budget on what compliant carriers charge.
- Book earlier for the fall. With capacity tightening, lead time matters more for full truckloads and for lanes out of Southern California during the busy season.
Go Trucking Services handles LTL and FTL land transport across Greater Los Angeles and nationwide. See land transport or request a quote on the home page.
Sources:
- Heavy Duty Trucking: FMCSA removes 110 truck driver training schools from certified ELDT list (September 1, 2026)
- American Trucking Associations: ATA Supports Latest Crackdown on CDL Mills (August 31, 2026)
- The Floridian: Trump Administration Shuts Down 270 CDL Schools in Fraud Crackdown (August 31, 2026)
Image: Carlos ZGZ, via Wikimedia Commons (CC0).
