President Trump’s administration has moved to shut down 270 commercial driving schools following investigations that uncovered alleged licensing abuses and failures in basic driver training.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the action alongside Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin in Detroit on Monday.
Duffy identified 110 schools as major offenders in a crackdown involving licenses granted to illegal immigrants, while another 160 were allegedly lacking adequate space for driving tests or employing instructors without required licenses. These represent basic qualifications for institutions preparing individuals to operate heavy commercial vehicles on public roads.
At the news conference, Duffy described the 110 schools as the “greatest offenders” in the licensing crackdown and separately identified the other 160 over testing-space and instructor deficiencies, bringing the combined total to 270.
Duffy also alleged that tens of thousands of improperly issued licenses were processed during the Biden administration, noting that some immigrants who received commercial licenses could not speak English. He characterized the enforcement push as a response to problems originating under the previous administration.
The announcement pertains specifically to commercial driver training for truck and bus operators. The schools face different allegations; the reported total does not establish identical violations across all institutions.
The investigation was already underway prior to Monday’s announcement.
In its July 16 announcement, the Department of Transportation detailed how federal transportation and homeland security investigators joined forces. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration had identified approximately 75 entry-level driver training schools suspected of fraud, with alleged misconduct including improper certifications, falsified training records, and failures to provide required training for commercial driver’s licenses.
Homeland Security Investigations was brought into the school investigations, expanding efforts beyond individual drivers to cover businesses responsible for preparing them for the road.
At that time, Duffy stated enforcement had removed more than 24,000 drivers due to English-language deficiencies and prompted states to cancel over 28,000 licenses improperly issued to foreign drivers. These figures were from the department’s July tally, separate from Monday’s announcement of 270 schools.
For a driver earning a license through legitimate training, the requirements entail time, expense, and demonstrated competence. A school that certifies training it never delivered would undermine that entire process.
Earlier inspections also uncovered issues unrelated to paperwork.
The Department of Transportation released results from a separate nationwide enforcement sweep conducted on February 18. The sweep mobilized over 300 investigators across all 50 states, carrying out 1,426 on-site checks over five days. The department’s tally listed 448 notices proposing removal from the federal Training Provider Registry, while an additional 109 providers voluntarily withdrew after learning of the investigation.
Investigators found instructors without necessary licenses or permits for vehicles they were teaching students to operate. Other schools used incorrect vehicles for courses, failed to properly assess students, or acknowledged falling short of state requirements. The department also identified fake addresses and inadequate hazardous materials training. One school that had previously trained school bus drivers was removed over safety violations.
Another 97 providers remained under investigation at the time of the February sweep.
The February tally describes an earlier action. Proposed removals, voluntary withdrawals, and Monday’s announced shutdowns are distinct categories, and combining them could result in double-counting providers.
Monday’s announcement goes beyond identifying schools for investigation: Duffy stated the administration is shutting them down. The practical question now is whether enforcement addresses the gaps that allowed deficient training and questionable certifications to reach the licensing system.
Families sharing the road with commercial trucks and buses depend on this system functioning properly before a driver operates a vehicle.