Federal officials under President Trump have shut down more than 270 commercial driver training schools for failing to meet safety and compliance standards, a move they say targets license fraud that has put Americans at risk.
In a news conference held Monday in Detroit, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin, and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration chief Derek Barrs announced what they described as an unprecedented crackdown. The officials revealed that investigations led to the closure of 110 schools they called the “greatest offenders,” as well as 160 more that allegedly lacked required testing space or licensed instructors.
The officials said the effort was part of a nationwide push to address fraud in commercial driver’s license (CDL) programs. Barrs disclosed that investigators examined a total of 400 training schools and found that 40% failed to meet federal rules and requirements. “Our investigators went into 400 driver training schools and we found that 40% of these that we investigated did not meet the rules and the requirements of our regulations,” Barrs said. He added that each of the 110 worst-offending schools had passed at least 10 drivers who were later cited by law enforcement for insufficient English proficiency during roadside inspections.
For Barrs, the cost of regulatory failure is measured in lives. “It's unacceptable. When you see people die on the road you don't forget that, and it starts right here with what I'm talking about,” he stated. Mullin echoed this concern, attributing a wave of fatalities and injuries to drivers who should never have been licensed, and placing blame on the prior administration’s lax oversight. “These individuals are dangerous, and because of the failure from the previous administration, from the Biden administration, they've killed hundreds of people. And unfortunately, injured thousands,” said Mullin.
Officials also highlighted the role of illegal immigrants in the license fraud scheme. Mullin said that Immigration and Customs Enforcement had discovered more than 100 individuals granted commercial driver’s licenses whose paperwork “literally” listed “No name given.” Duffy claimed tens of thousands of illegal drivers’ licenses were issued during the Biden administration, though the officials did not provide supporting documentation or a breakdown of these figures. The Trump administration contended that these failures exposed Americans to unnecessary danger on the nation’s roads.
The crackdown followed a sweeping federal investigation into commercial driver training schools. Barrs reported that investigators found nearly half of the 400 schools reviewed failed to meet legal standards for training and licensing. The 110 schools labeled as the most egregious offenders had a pattern of passing drivers who could not meet basic English language requirements, a federal mandate intended to ensure safety and effective communication with law enforcement and the public.
In addition to these, another 160 schools were closed after being found without proper space for driving tests or lacking licensed instructors. The officials did not specify the locations of the affected schools, nor did they release the names of the schools or the exact number of licenses revoked as a result of the action.
Sean Duffy and Markwayne Mullin leveled sharp criticism at the Biden administration, alleging that tens of thousands of illegal commercial driver’s licenses were issued on its watch. They linked these failures to fatal consequences, with Mullin citing “hundreds” killed and “thousands” injured by unqualified or fraudulently licensed drivers.
While the officials did not provide a comprehensive list of incidents or supporting documents for these claims, they cited Immigration and Customs Enforcement numbers showing over 100 licenses issued to individuals with “No name given.” The Trump team argued that the previous administration’s lack of vigilance enabled these abuses and put Americans at unnecessary risk.
The Trump administration’s move to shut down these schools was framed as a “historic” effort to restore integrity and safety to commercial driver licensing. Officials stressed that allowing unqualified drivers onto America’s highways is not only a regulatory failure, but a threat to public safety. As Barrs put it, “It starts right here with what I'm talking about”, pointing to the vital connection between proper training, lawful licensing, and saving lives on the road.
For a nation that depends on safe and reliable trucking, the consequences of government neglect, regulatory evasion, and open-border policies are not theoretical. They show up in tragic headlines and preventable loss. The Trump administration’s crackdown is a reminder that accountability and rule of law are not partisan slogans, they are the minimum standard the public deserves from those entrusted with its safety.