The U.S. Department of Transportation says it removed more than 11,500 commercial truck drivers from service and shut down 7,500 CDL training schools over the past year as part of a renewed enforcement push to improve road safety.
The figures were highlighted by the DOT in a one-year summary of actions taken under Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, noting stricter oversight of driver qualifications and training standards as a response to fatal crashes involving unqualified operators.
According to the DOT, a central focus of the effort has been enforcing federal English-language proficiency requirements for commercial drivers. The department says drivers who failed to meet those standards were placed out of service during roadside inspections.
The DOT also said it removed approximately 7,500 CDL training providers from the federal registry after determining they did not meet entry-level driver training requirements. Removal from the registry prevents schools from certifying new drivers but does not necessarily mean the facilities were physically closed.
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In addition, the department said 49 states are now enforcing federal English proficiency standards for commercial drivers. The DOT has previously warned that failure to enforce those requirements could put certain federal transportation funding at risk.
English proficiency rules and entry-level driver training requirements have long been part of federal trucking regulations. However, enforcement intensity increased over the past year following policy changes that allow inspectors to place drivers out of service for failing to meet the standard.
The enforcement push has drawn attention across the trucking industry, where safety advocates argue stricter oversight is necessary, while some carriers and industry groups have raised concerns about uneven enforcement and potential impacts on driver availability.
