Trucking industry organizations are praising efforts by the federal government to shut down fraudulent truck driver training schools.
It was announced earlier this week that the Department of Transportation used an emergency notice to shut down 110 commercial driver's license training businesses. The DOT said these programs were associated with more than 5,000 drivers who failed English language proficiency tests.
Response from the trucking industry has been supportive of the DOT;s efforts.
In a joint statement, the Commercial Vehicle Training Association and National Association of Publicly Funded Truck Driving Schools are pleased to see that USDOT's oversight efforts that led to the emergency removal of the noncompliant training locations.
The statement said, "CVTA & NAPFTDS have worked together to highlight the deluge of bad actors onto the Training Provider Registry through the original "self-certification" system. These non-compliant providers proliferated into the market and threatened highway safety because self-certification allowed them to register without uploading necessary documents relating to licensure, curriculum, etc., and were not subject to a review of their fitness to train.
"Strengthening the entry process onto the TPR and removing self-certification is critical to the ultimate goal of a trustworthy and healthy registry. We look forward to FMCSA's future rulemaking to strengthen certification criteria in line with the original aims of the Entry-Level Driver Training Advisory Committee.
"We jointly applaud Administrator (Derek) Barrs for his leadership and particularly for taking time to note the "really good folks who do really good things in this industry."
Likewise, the American Trucking Associations' Chief Advocacy & Public Affairs Officer Henry Hanscom released a statement in support of a joint operation by the U.S. Departments of Transportation and Homeland Security to permanently close fraudulent CDL schools.
Hanscom said, "ATA applauds the Trump Administration, the U.S. Department of Transportation, and the Department of Homeland Security for continuing their aggressive crackdown on fraudulent CDL training providers and other bad actors that have undermined safety and integrity within the industry. Strong enforcement measures like these send a clear message that commercial trucking is a profession that demands skill, responsibility, and adherence to the highest standards.
"Removing noncompliant carriers, unqualified drivers, and fraudulent training operations strengthens public confidence in our industry while ensuring that the next generation of professional drivers enters the workforce properly trained and fully qualified. The result is a safer highway system, a stronger supply chain, and a more level playing field for the thousands of motor carriers that follow the rules every day."
