FMCSA has closed nearly 10,000 truck driver school locations in fraud crackdown

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has closed 9,970 truck driver training school locations nationwide as of Oct. 5, in a two-year enforcement campaign to root out unsafe and fraudulent CDL training, according to Transport Topics on Oct. 8.

Just over 31,000 locations remain listed as active training sites. An FMCSA removal-list webpage carries nearly 7,000 provider entries for 2025–2026 with names, removal dates, and reasons — voluntary and involuntary deletions from the Training Provider Registry. Closures stem largely from investigations: some operators exploited the self-certification process to falsely claim compliance with Entry-Level Driver Training requirements. FMCSA saw "a massive influx from 2020 to 2024" of new schools added during COVID to meet driver demand, and among them were "bad actors" committing fraud, an agency spokesperson said.

Nearly 800 schools remain under regulatory review and more closures may follow; FMCSA is sending notices to training providers that have not certified a training completion within the past year. Administrator Derek Barrs has instituted "a zero-tolerance policy for anyone not meeting federal regulations," the spokesperson said. Homeland Security Investigations is increasingly supporting the campaign against suspected fraud, and DOT recently joined a White House anti-fraud task force managed by Vice President J.D. Vance. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said Aug. 31 that 110 schools had been closed after being tied to 5,000 drivers who failed English-proficiency tests, and cited 239 roadway deaths "correlated" with a driver lacking the ability to read and communicate proficiently in English.