The US Department of Transportation, earlier this month, removed nearly 3,000 commercial driver’s license (CDL) training providers from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Training Provider Registry (TPR) for failing to equip trainees with the Trump Administration’s standards of readiness.
Another 4,500 training providers were placed on notice due to potential non-compliance of those standards, US Department of Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced.
“This administration is cracking down on every link in the illegal trucking chain,” said Secretary Duffy.
He added that “bad actors were able to game the system and let unqualified drivers flood our roadways”, which he blamed on the previous Biden administration.
“Their negligence endangered every family on America’s roadways, and it ends today,” he said.
“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 Training Provider Registry lists all providers authorised to offer federally required Entry-Level Driver Training for CDL students.
This is the first step in FMCSA’s review of the 16,000 training providers listed on the TPR, where it will identify and remove noncompliant providers.
CDL Training Providers are being removed from the TPR due to:
- Falsifying or manipulating training data.
- Neglecting to meet required curriculum standards, facility conditions, or instructor qualifications.
- Failing to maintain accurate, complete documentation or refusing to provide records during federal audits or investigations.
“If you are unwilling to follow the rules, you have no place training America’s commercial drivers. We will not tolerate negligence,” said FMCSA Administrator, Derek D. Barrs.
The American Trucking Associations commended the Trump Administration for its decision to remove the CDL training providers from the FMCSA Training Provider Registry.
“Training someone to operate an 80,000-pound vehicle is not a weekend hobby. It is a profession built on standards, discipline, and responsibility,” said ATA President & CEO, Chris Spear.
“The Trump Administration has sent the right message: if you’re running a CDL mill or if you’re issuing certificates to anyone who can fog a mirror, you’re on notice.”
ATA said it has called for stronger oversight and accountability to eliminate fraudulent or substandard CDL training providers that undermine roadway safety and public confidence.
The trucking body also applauded the Trump Administration’s announcement on a complete overhaul of the vetting process for Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) used by truckers, helping to ensure non-compliant devices are blocked from the FMCSA’s registry.
“We appreciate this first step from the Trump Administration to overhaul the vetting process for electronic logging devices,” Spear said.
“This action, paired with the recent removal of noncompliant ELDs from the registry, shows the FMCSA is committed to addressing this issue swiftly, which is critical for highway safety and fair competition.”
CDL Training providers that receive a notice of proposed removal have 30 days to respond to FMCSA and provide evidence of compliance to avoid removal from the registry.
During this period, the provider’s name will be included on the TPR Proposed Removal List, and the provider must notify all current and scheduled driver-trainees of its proposed removal status.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) primary mission is to prevent crashes, fatalities, and injuries involving large trucks and buses.
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