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More than 550 cheating Commercial Drivers License (CDL) training schools were found in violation of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) standards of safety. The CDL schools have received notices of proposed removal from FMCSA’s national training provider registry. An additional 97 training providers remain under investigation for compliance issues.
“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,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy.
FMCSA said it activated ~300 investigators across 50 states to conduct more than 1400 sting operations. Non-compliant schools lacked qualified instructors, used fake addresses, and failed to properly train drivers on the transportation of hazardous materials, among other violations. One school removed for violating safety standards had previously provided training for school bus drivers, according to DOT.
During a five day period, the FMCSA conducted 1426 on-site investigations of driver training providers, which resulted in:
- 448 notices of proposed removals issued to schools that failed to meet basic safety standards.
- 109 training providers voluntarily removed themselves from the Training Provider Registry upon hearing investigators were on the way.
Common violations
- Unqualified Teachers: Instructors did not even hold the correct licenses or permits for the vehicles they were teaching their students to drive.
- Improper Vehicles: Schools were using vehicles that didn’t match the type of training being offered.
- Incomplete Assessments: Providers failed to properly test students on basic requirements.
- State Non-Compliance: Schools allegedly admitted to investigators that they did not even meet their own state’s specific requirements.
“We mobilized hundreds of investigators to visit these schools in person to ensure strict compliance with federal safety standards,” said FMCSA Administrator Derek D. Barrs. “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.”
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Sting Operations Hit ~550 CDL Training Schools
Click for more.
More than 550 cheating Commercial Drivers License (CDL) training schools were found in violation of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) standards of safety. The CDL schools have received notices of proposed removal from FMCSA’s national training provider registry. An additional 97 training providers remain under investigation for compliance issues.
“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,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy.
FMCSA said it activated ~300 investigators across 50 states to conduct more than 1400 sting operations. Non-compliant schools lacked qualified instructors, used fake addresses, and failed to properly train drivers on the transportation of hazardous materials, among other violations. One school removed for violating safety standards had previously provided training for school bus drivers, according to DOT.
During a five day period, the FMCSA conducted 1426 on-site investigations of driver training providers, which resulted in:
Common violations
“We mobilized hundreds of investigators to visit these schools in person to ensure strict compliance with federal safety standards,” said FMCSA Administrator Derek D. Barrs. “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.”
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.