AUSTIN, Texas — Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened an investigation into numerous trucking schools for what he stated in a press release issued by his office recently as “endangering Texans by providing inadequate commercial driver training, including to non-English speakers, in violation of state and federal law.”
As part of the investigation, Paxton sent Civil Investigative Demands (CIDs) to the following companies: EP Texas Trucking School (EP Trucking), Trucker Certified LLC (Trucker Certified), Fast Track CDL LLC (Fast Track), CDLCALL.COM LLC (CDLCALL), and Lindenwood Education System (Ancora).
“Federal regulations require commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders to read and speak the English language sufficiently to converse with the general public, understand highway traffic signs and signals in English, respond to official inquiries, and make entries on reports and records,” the Texas AG’s office release stated. “Additionally, Texas and federal law mandate that CDL training providers ensure students are adequately prepared to safely operate commercial motor vehicles in compliance with all applicable safety standards.”
Paxton’s office said preliminary findings suggest that certain schools are disregarding these requirements.
“For example, EP Trucking tells prospective students that English proficiency is not necessary to complete the program and advertises its services in Spanish,” the release stated. “Several entities under investigation have also falsely claimed to be a certified school. Additionally, some programs advertise accelerated training timelines that are as short as approximately 20 days, which is well below the industry norm of three to seven weeks. Actions such as these indicate insufficient instruction and evaluation.”
Paxton wrote that these actions, among others, are violations of the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and “pose a significant risk to public safety. The Office of the Attorney General will take all necessary action to ensure CDL students are protected from fraudulent trucking schools and that Texans are protected from the dangers posed by unqualified drivers.”
“Putting non-English speakers behind the wheel of 18-wheelers in America can pose serious threats to public safety,” Paxton said. “My office is thoroughly investigating these trucking schools, and I am taking this matter very seriously. I will fight to ensure that Texans are safe and that only qualified, English-speaking truckers are operating commercial vehicles on our roads.”
Paxton’s release stated how the organizations he named were related to the state of Texas.
EP Texas Trucking School has physical locations in Odessa and El Paso. Trucker Certified has locations in Pampa, Amarillo, Plainview, and Borger. Fast Track CDL is located in Garland. CDLCALL operates in San Antonio and Ancora has a main office in Arlington. These schools also likely send graduates to trucking companies across the state, including major freight hubs such as Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston.
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.
