The Trump administration ordered 110 truck-driving schools to shut down on Monday. Officials say these schools broke long-standing federal rules. They failed to ensure drivers could speak English. This action stops them from training new drivers. Orders were carried out by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. They removed the schools from the federal registry. These schools can no longer provide recognized training.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the move. He said the schools trained over 5,000 drivers. Many of these drivers failed English tests later. Duffy made a clear point about the law. “You have to speak English to operate a commercial motor vehicle,” Duffy said. He noted that he did not write the rule. “I didn’t create that rule. President Trump didn’t create that rule. That rule has been in place for decades,” he added.
Officials linked bad training to fatal crashes. FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs shared specific cases. In California, the Platinum Plus Truck Driving School certified 36 drivers with language issues. One trainee from that school killed a person in Oklahoma. Barrs also cited ASC Technical Institute in Texas. That school certified 58 drivers with similar problems. One driver there ran a stop sign and killed a man.
Family tragedy highlighted the human cost. Delilah Coleman was just 5 years old when a commercial driver hit her family. She suffered a severe brain injury and spent three weeks in a coma. Barrs stated that unqualified drivers cause hundreds of deaths. He said they also cause thousands of injuries across the nation. The administration blamed the previous leadership for the mess.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin spoke out. He called the situation a failure of the prior government. “These individuals are dangerous because of the failure from the previous administration, from the Biden administration,” Mullin said. He argued that millions of migrants entered without full checks. Their criminal and driving histories were not always known. The system let schools self-certify too easily.
The crackdown comes after recent arrests at the border. Fox News reported that 95 illegal alien truck drivers were caught in Arizona. These drivers held licenses from states like California and New York. They were found hiding in semitrucks or driving them. Agents seized large amounts of drugs during these busts. Acting Chief Patrol Agent Dustin Caudle said they are committed to safety. He warned against untrained drivers and criminal groups.
The Department of Transportation is finalizing new rules. These rules will stop unqualified foreign drivers from getting licenses. They will limit licenses to specific visa types with strict vetting. The new plan stops the use of certain work permits for proof. Duffy said. The goal is to put public safety first. “Under President Trump’s leadership, we are putting the safety of the driving public first,” he stated.
Mullin noted that enforcement is already working. He said an operation on Interstate 40 removed 107 trucks from the road. Some drivers had licenses with “no name given” on them. “From enforcing English language standards to holding fraudulent carriers accountable, we will continue to attack this crisis on our roads head-on,” Duffy said. The focus remains on keeping dangerous drivers off the highway.
