WASHINGTON — A total of 557 CDL training schools across the U.S. have been notified of proposed removal from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) National Training Provider Registry because of violations of FMCSA standards of safety. U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy made the announcement Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026.
“For too long, the trucking industry has operated like the ‘Wild, Wild West,’ where anything goes and nobody asks any questions,” Duffy said. “The buck stops with me. My team is cracking down on every link in the trucking chain that has allowed this lawlessness to impact the safety of America’s roads.
“American families should have confidence that our school bus and truck drivers are following every letter of the law — and that starts with receiving proper training before getting behind the wheel,” Duffy continued.
According to a statement released by the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), which described the affected facilities as “shams,” the action follows an investigation by the FMCSA. Over the course of five days, a total of 1,426 “sting operations” were conducted by more than 300 investigators across 50 states.
The USDOT statement noted that many of the noncompliant schools lacked qualified instructors, used fake addresses and failed to properly train drivers on the transportation of hazardous materials, among other violations. One school removed for violating safety standards had previously provided training for school bus drivers.
The five-day investigation resulted in:
- 448 notices of proposed removals issued to schools that failed to meet basic safety standards.
- 109 training providers voluntarily removed themselves from the Training Provider Registry upon hearing investigators were on the way.
Common violations included:
- Unqualified teachers: Instructors did not even hold the correct licenses or permits — such as for school buses — for the vehicles they were teaching their students to drive.
- Improper vehicles: Schools were using vehicles that didn’t match the type of training being offered.
- Incomplete assessments: Providers failed to properly test students on basic requirements.
- State non-compliance: Schools admitted to investigators that they did not even meet their own state’s specific requirements.
“We mobilized hundreds of investigators to visit these schools in person to ensure strict compliance with federal safety standards,” said FMCSA Administrator Derek D. Barrs. “If a school isn’t using the right vehicles or if their instructors aren’t qualified, they have no business training the next generation of truckers or school bus drivers.”
An additional 97 training providers remain under investigation for compliance issues.
Linda Garner-Bunch has been with The Trucker since 2020, picking up the reins as managing editor in 2022. Linda has nearly 40 years of experience in the publishing industry, covering topics from the trucking and automotive industry to employment, real estate, home decor, crafts, cooking, weddings, high school sports — you name it, she’s written about it. She is also an experienced photographer, designer and copy editor who has a heartfelt love for the trucking industry, from the driver’s seat to the C-suite.
