Washington, D.C. — Organizations around the trucking industry are reacting to the news released late Wednesday afternoon (Feb. 18, 2026) that the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration (FMCSA) announcing that more than 550 CDL training schools found in violation of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA)’s standards of safety received notices of proposed removal from FMCSA’s national training provider registry.
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.
The action has been met with applause and approval throughout the trucking and training industry.
“As an industry, we can never advocate for non-compliance of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations, and the Entry Level Driver Training rules were developed as minimal standards for training institutions to abide by,” said Dave Heller, vice preside of safety and government affairs for the Truckload Carriers Association (TCA).
“The reality is that the enforcement efforts employed by the agency have become a welcome sign that the bar is being raised for creating safer drivers. As a representative of what I perceive to be the very best motor carriers that the country has to offer, TCA supports the increased enforcement efforts over these institutions that have either failed to achieve the minimum standards or blatantly ignored what the rules are,” Heller continued. “I think these actions will only stand to benefit the industry in the long run, emphasizing yet again that the professional truck driver is the safest, most well-trained driver on the road today.”
Other industry leaders echoed similar sentiments, including Todd Spencer, president of the Owner-Operator Independent Driver Association (OOIDA), who said Secretary Duffy and Administrator Barrs “are sending a clear message today that safety comes first and that training is a priority.”
“OOIDA and professional truck drivers across America commend the Trump administration for taking decisive action to restore integrity to the CDL training system,” Spencer said. “Shutting down hundreds of sham trucking schools that fail to meet even basic federal standards is a significant step toward protecting the motoring public and defending the professionalism of America’s truck drivers.
“For years, CDL mills have fueled a destructive churn driven by the false narrative of a nationwide truck driver shortage,” he continued. “Rather than fix retention problems and working conditions, some in the industry chose to cut corners and push undertrained drivers onto the road. That approach has undermined safety and devalued the entire trucking profession.”
The Commercial Vehicle Training Association (CVTA) formally thanked Duffy and Barrs “for their decisive action in the removal of 550 bad actor trucking schools as part of the most extensive CDL training enforcement initiative in federal history.”
“CVTA has been the tip of the spear in identifying noncompliant providers and pushing for meaningful federal oversight,” said CVTA Chairman Jeff Burkhardt. “Our ELDT Task Force has worked tirelessly to clean up this industry and help usher in a new era of safer roadways and greater opportunity in trucking. We commend Secretary Duffy and Administrator Barrs for transforming these long-standing concerns into real enforcement that protects the public and supports reputable schools.”
CVTA also issued a separate statement regarding the Feb. 18 announcement:
“This progress follows a recent USDOT initiative to address widespread noncompliance within the federal Training Provider Registry (TPR),” CVTA’s response added. “The registry was originally created to provide quality assurance by requiring training programs to upload curriculum documents and necessary credentials in order to be listed. That safeguard was later eliminated in favor of a broad self-certification process that allowed bad actors to enter the system in large numbers.”
Martin Garsee, executive director of the National Association of Publicly Funded Truck Driving Schools (NAPFTDS) said his organization “applauds the actions of FMCSA.”
“Our mission is to provide training that is the highest quality training available, and at minimum ELDT compliant,” Garsee said. “Since ELDT mandated training and the TPR became active in 2022, we have seen an explosion, of people who are conducting training. The benchmark for training is not being on the TPR but being compliant with ELDT. We endorse the efforts of FMCSA and their audit finding, and welcome the oversight that is no being conducted.”
The American Trucking Associations (ATA) also praised the actions.
“We commend the Trump Administration for taking decisive action to strengthen the integrity of our commercial driver training system and reinforce its commitment to safer roads,” said Henry Hanscom, ATA’s chief advocacy and public affairs officer. “The proposed removal or voluntary withdrawal of more than 550 CDL training providers from the national Training Provider Registry makes clear there is no place in trucking for sham schools that fail to meet federal requirements.”
Hanscom also noted the importance of properly trained truck drivers.
“Our industry depends on safe, skilled, and well-trained drivers. That begins with training providers that meet and uphold rigorous federal curriculum and qualification standards,” he said. “We support strong oversight, including random audits across the states, to ensure compliance and protect the integrity of the driver pipeline. The more than 1,400 on-site investigations FMCSA conducted nationwide as part of this operation demonstrates its ongoing willingness to weed out bad actors.
“Combined with enforcing federal driver qualification standards and maintaining consistent compliance reviews, these steps are critical to strengthening the CDL system and ensuring every driver who gets behind the wheel is well prepared to operate safely,” he continued.
Dave Dein, who is the co-founder of the Next Generation in Trucking Association, said he applauds the recent efforts by US Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy for taking proactive steps in eliminating the bad actors who are the root of the problem facing the trucking industry.”
“The truck driving mills for too long have prioritized personal gain and profits over safety and have put countless lives at risk in the process,” Dein said. “What these schools have done is the same as giving someone a loaded gun without any training. It is reckless and irresponsible and they should be held criminally liable for their intentional actions.
“What this administration is doing is a great first step to ensuring the safety of roads is prioritized and protected for years to come,” he concluded.
Bruce Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has lived in three states including Arkansas, Missouri and Georgia. During his nearly 20-year career, Bruce has served as managing editor and sports editor for numerous publications. He and his wife, Dana, who is also a journalist, are based in Carrollton, Georgia.
