More than 110 training providers face immediate removal from FMCSA registry as agencies expand fraud investigations.
A new interagency task force is cracking down on the commercial driver’s license (CDL) training and testing system in the U.S. According to the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT), more than 110 training providers facing immediate removal from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) registry — and hundreds more are under investigation.
The USDOT and FMCSA announced the enforcement actions Aug. 31, 2026, as part of a broader effort involving the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Justice to address fraud and other criminal activity involving CDLs and the trucking industry.
The agencies also announced the formation of the Joint Task Force Crossroads of America, a multi-state partnership involving federal, state and local law enforcement agencies.
CDL training providers targeted
The FMCSA cross-referenced roadside inspection records of drivers cited for failing English-language proficiency (ELP) requirements with the agency’s Training Provider Registry to identify providers that repeatedly certified unqualified drivers.
As a result, more than 110 entry-level driver training (ELDT) providers will be immediately removed from the registry and have been ordered to halt training operations.
The agency also announced the results of a separate investigation launched in July. The FMCSA sent 175 investigators to 40 states, where they conducted nearly 400 investigations of ELDT providers.
Investigators found a range of compliance problems, including inadequate space for required driving maneuvers, instructors without the appropriate licenses and missing assessment records. In one case, the FMCSA said, a training provider claimed its classroom was located inside a school bus in the back of a trailer.
Those investigations resulted in more than 160 notices of proposed removal from FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry. The agency says drivers certified by those providers are linked to 239 commercial motor vehicle-related fatalities.
Third-party testers under the microscope
The FMCSA is also launching a nationwide audit of third-party CDL skills testers and the states responsible for overseeing them.
Despite the requirement that CDL skills tests must be conducted in English, more than 28,000 drivers have been placed out of service for ELP violations since June 2025, according to the FMCSA. The agency says these numbers point to compliance failures among third-party testers, as well as to shortcomings in state oversight.
FMCSA already has a process for addressing state CDL programs that fail to comply with federal requirements:
- If deficiencies are identified, a state is given an opportunity to develop a corrective action plan.
- If the problems aren’t corrected, the FMCSA can issue a final determination of substantial noncompliance, triggering the withholding of federal highway funds. The withholding starts at up to 4% in the first year and can increase to 8% for each subsequent year of noncompliance.
- For serious violations, the FMCSA can begin the decertification process. A decertified state cannot issue, renew, transfer or upgrade commercial driver’s licenses.
DHS expands criminal investigations
While the FMCSA’s announced actions focus heavily on training and testing, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is taking a broader look at criminal activity involving the commercial trucking sector.
Today, Aug. 31, 2026, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is leading a national criminal investigation initiative involving CDL businesses and trucking operations. The synchronized surge is aimed at more than 200 driving schools across 23 Special Agent in Charge offices, targeting CDL-related businesses, schools, carriers and employers. This surge will consist in the service of Notice of Inspections across 23 states.
HSI investigations also include allegations involving CDL fraud, unauthorized employment, identity-document fraud, financial crime, money laundering and labor exploitation, as well as potential connections to human smuggling, drug trafficking and cartel activity.
HSI says it has disseminated more than 1,000 CDL-related business stemming from known or suspect business engaged in unsafe practices on the roadways and transportation-sector exploitation.
The agency has issued more than 80 Notices of Inspection, opened multiple investigations and identified indicators of fraudulent CDL issuance, unauthorized employment, identity fraud and shell companies.
Among the ongoing investigations cited by HSI are cases involving alleged use of B1/B2 visa holders for domestic cargo transport, state motor vehicle employees suspected of accepting payments to circumvent CDL requirements, fraudulent medical certifications and alleged labor exploitation.
New multi-state task force
The Department of Justice (DOJ) announced the Joint Task Force Crossroads of America as another component of the broader enforcement effort.
The task force brings together U.S. Attorney’s Offices in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Ohio with state and local law enforcement, prosecutors and federal agencies including USDOT, FMCSA, FBI, DEA, HSI, ICE and ATF.
According to the DOJ, the task force will work to improve roadway safety, reduce fatalities and serious injuries, deter illegal trucking practices and develop more consistent, data-driven enforcement strategies across jurisdictions.
“Criminals who exploit our nation’s transportation systems through fraud and deception are not only breaking the law — they are putting the safety and security of the American public at risk,” said John Condon, acting executive director of HSI. “HSI will bring the full weight of our investigative authorities, financial expertise and global law enforcement capabilities to this historic, whole-of-government effort.”
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says federal law enforcement support is needed to address fraud throughout the industry.
“To fully root out the scourge of fraud, hold criminals accountable, and restore safety, we need the support of federal law enforcement,” Duffy said. “From states failing to follow the law to shady training schools and illicit companies, together we will tackle every link in the chain.”
For CDL training providers and educators, however, the most immediate impact of the Aug. 31 announcement comes from FMCSA’s actions against training providers and its new scrutiny of third-party skills testing.
The combined federal effort signals that CDL training, testing and certification practices will remain a major focus of federal enforcement.
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.
Yeah Why The F**k Does It Cost $3500‐$10000 For Training When The Training Is A Farce. Id Like My $3500 Back Because I Know How Drive As Ive Had My License Previously But Because It Was Their Way It Cost Me
Note I Got My First License Through The Company That Hired Me Paying Me By The Hour To Work For Them It Should Be This Way Now With Officially Licensed Testers When Doing Your Test
Not 4 Weeks Stealing Money From You