DHS Sweeps 200 CDL Schools, Targeting DMV Staff and Motor Carriers

DHS sweeps 200 CDL schools as DMV employees, motor carriers targeted over unqualified drivers

Federal authorities have launched a broad investigation into commercial driver’s license fraud, targeting CDL training schools, third-party skills testers, motor carriers, employers and suspected corruption within state motor vehicle agencies.

The effort brings together the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Transportation, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Department of Justice under a new initiative called the Joint Task Force Crossroads of America. Officials say the task force will investigate fraudulent licensing, unauthorized employment, identity-document fraud, financial crimes and other illegal activity connected to the trucking industry.

Homeland Security Investigations announced a coordinated operation involving more than 200 driving schools across 23 field-office areas. The agency said it issued more than 80 notices of inspection and opened investigations involving CDL-related businesses, carriers and employers.

Investigators are examining allegations that some schools falsified training records, issued improper certifications or failed to provide the training required for entry-level drivers. The inquiry also includes suspected shell companies, identity fraud and businesses accused of exploiting temporary visa holders or employing drivers who are not legally authorized to work.

In a related action, FMCSA said it immediately removed 110 CDL training schools from its Training Provider Registry. The schools were associated with more than 5,000 drivers who had failed federal English language proficiency exams, according to the agency.

FMCSA also proposed removing another 160 schools following a 40-state investigation. Agency officials said audits uncovered missing records, inadequate classroom space, unlicensed instructors and training locations that did not appear to meet federal requirements. In one example cited by FMCSA, a school bus was allegedly used as a classroom; another school reportedly listed the back of an open semitrailer as its classroom while its primary instructor was outside the country.

The emergency removals affect the schools’ standing in the federal registry. The action does not, by itself, establish that every driver trained by one of the schools committed fraud or was unqualified. However, it places the schools under immediate federal scrutiny and could lead to additional action involving individual licenses or training records.

Transportation officials also announced a nationwide audit of third-party CDL skills testers and the states responsible for overseeing them. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy said 10 testers had issued more than 2,000 licenses to people who could not demonstrate English proficiency. FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs said the agency will conduct the audit with Homeland Security Investigations.

Under federal commercial-driving rules, drivers must be able to understand and communicate in English well enough to safely operate a commercial motor vehicle and respond to official inquiries. Enforcement officials said they have recorded more than 30,000 English-proficiency violations during the past year and a half.

Duffy said 24,000 drivers had been removed from the roads for failing English-proficiency requirements and that states had been directed to cancel more than 28,000 licenses that were illegally issued to foreign drivers. He also said FMCSA had removed more than 9,500 unqualified training providers from its registry during the past year. The figures were provided by the department and were not independently verified in the announcement.

The federal government is also scrutinizing state oversight of CDL testing programs. FMCSA said a state that fails to comply with federal requirements could face a loss of federal funding or, ultimately, decertification of its CDL program. California and New York have been cited by federal officials in connection with ongoing disputes over CDL records and licensing practices.

DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the partnership is intended to prevent people who lack legal status from obtaining non-domiciled CDLs through fraudulent means. He said HSI is pursuing approximately 1,000 CDL-related business leads involving suspected unsafe practices, unauthorized employment, identity fraud and broader exploitation within the transportation sector.

Authorities also said they are investigating “chameleon carriers,” a term used for motor carriers that allegedly change names, operating identities or USDOT numbers after enforcement action. Mullin said some carriers may remove one set of identifying numbers and replace them with another before returning to operation.

The administration has linked the crackdown to fatal commercial vehicle crashes and concerns about drivers operating without the required qualifications. Officials cited 239 deaths in crashes they said were correlated with a driver who was not proficient in English. The announcement did not provide additional details about those crashes or explain how English proficiency was determined to be a contributing factor in each case.

The enforcement campaign comes as the federal government and 21 states continue to litigate over access to CDL records. DOT and DHS requested the complete Commercial Driver’s License Information System database from the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators to investigate alleged illegal licensing practices. A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order blocking DOT from obtaining more than 17 million CDL-holder records while the case proceeds.

Major trucking groups, including the American Trucking Associations and the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, have expressed support for stronger enforcement of licensing and English-proficiency requirements. Industry representatives also have urged Congress to pass Dalilah’s Law, legislation named for a crash victim that would codify certain English-proficiency standards and restrict non-domiciled CDLs.

For professional drivers and carriers, the investigations could mean more scrutiny of training credentials, skills-test results, employment documentation and carrier identification. Federal officials said the goal is to ensure that only properly trained and legally qualified drivers receive commercial licenses and operate on the nation’s highways.