Nearly 44% of truck driving schools in the United States may face closure after a federal review found widespread noncompliance with government training standards.
According to The Associated Press, the U.S. Department of Transportation announced plans to revoke the accreditation of almost 3,000 schools unless they meet required training standards within the next 30 days.
Another 4,000 schools have been warned that they could face similar action if deficiencies are not addressed.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the crackdown is part of a broader effort to ensure that all commercial drivers are properly trained and eligible to hold a license.
He cited a recent incident in Florida where an unauthorized driver made an illegal U-turn, causing a crash that killed three people, as a catalyst for the review.
“We are reigning in illegal and reckless practices that let poorly trained drivers get behind the wheel of semi-trucks and school buses,” Duffy said.
According to the Transportation Department, the targeted schools failed to meet required training standards, did not maintain accurate records, and, in some cases, allegedly falsified or manipulated training data. These shortcomings, officials say, put both drivers and the public at risk.
Duffy has also threatened to withhold federal funding from states such as California and Pennsylvania over compliance concerns and proposed new restrictions on which immigrants could obtain commercial driver’s licenses, though those rules were temporarily blocked by a court.
The Department did not immediately release a list of the schools under review. However, officials emphasized that the 30-day window for compliance is firm, signaling a potential shakeup in the trucking education industry.
With approximately 16,000 truck driving schools nationwide, the review could impact tens of thousands of aspiring drivers, heightening the stakes for institutions that fail to meet federal standards.
Federal authorities stress that these measures are essential to prevent accidents and ensure that commercial drivers are adequately trained for the road.
