FMCSA Shuts 110 Driver Schools, Launches FBI Task Force on Hiring

Which driver training schools did FMCSA shut down this week?

Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) removed over 110 commercial driver training schools from its registry in September 2026 and proposed shutting down more than 160 others for failing to train and vet drivers adequately. The agency announced the enforcement action at a press conference September 3.

FMCSA did not publish a list of the removed schools in the announcement. Carriers who hired drivers from schools on the removal list may face scrutiny in safety audits. Check your drivers' training certificates against the current FMCSA Training Provider Registry (TPR) at tpr.fmcsa.dot.gov. Schools removed from the registry cannot issue Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) certificates that satisfy 49 CFR 380.503.

What is Joint Task Force Crossroads of America?

FMCSA launched a new enforcement unit called Joint Task Force Crossroads of America. The task force teams FMCSA with the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and state attorneys' offices to prosecute illegal trucking practices.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the task force will target carriers who hire underqualified drivers, including drivers who are not proficient in English. "I should make another point about companies, good companies who are hiring drivers who don't speak English or didn't go to a well-qualified school: Watch out. We're going to come and look at you as well," Duffy said at the press conference.

The English-language warning follows FMCSA's August 2026 rule codifying English-language proficiency requirements, which restored out-of-service authority for drivers who cannot speak or read English well enough to converse with law enforcement, understand highway signs, or complete driver vehicle inspection reports.

What carriers must do now

Verify every driver's ELDT certificate against the current TPR registry. Drivers who completed training at a school FMCSA removed cannot use that certificate to satisfy ELDT requirements. Those drivers must retrain at a TPR-listed school.

Carriers who hired drivers in the past 12 months from schools on the removal list should expect audit questions. FMCSA safety investigators will ask for training records, driver qualification files, and proof the driver met 49 CFR 391.11 English-language proficiency standards at hire.

Document English-language proficiency at hire. The regulation requires drivers to speak and read English well enough to converse with the general public, understand highway traffic signs and signals, respond to official inquiries, and make entries on reports and records. Carriers should keep notes from the hiring interview showing the driver met the standard. A signed statement from the driver is not sufficient under the rule.

Carriers who use third-party recruiters or driver-leasing companies must verify the recruiter checked TPR status and English proficiency. FMCSA holds the carrier responsible for driver qualifications even when a recruiter or leasing company supplied the driver.

How this affects new-entrant carriers

New-entrant carriers applying for operating authority after September 2026 should expect FMCSA to scrutinize driver training records during the 18-month new-entrant safety audit. Investigators will cross-check every driver's ELDT certificate against the TPR. A driver trained at a removed school will trigger a driver qualification violation, which counts against the carrier's Unsafe Driving and Driver Fitness BASIC percentiles in the Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program.

Carriers who fail the new-entrant audit lose their operating authority. FMCSA proposed a rule in July 2026 that would require new carriers to pass a proficiency exam before receiving authority. That rule has not been finalized.

What the task force means for enforcement

The task force structure signals FMCSA intends to refer hiring violations to federal prosecutors. Past FMCSA enforcement actions against carriers for driver qualification violations resulted in civil penalties and authority revocations. Adding the FBI, DEA, and ICE to the task force suggests the agency will pursue criminal charges in cases involving fraud, immigration violations, or drug trafficking tied to underqualified drivers.

Carriers should treat driver qualification files as documents subject to federal criminal investigation, not just civil audit. Keep originals of all training certificates, medical examiner certificates, road test results, and English-proficiency documentation. Do not backdate records or alter certificates.

Two HOS flexibility pilots move forward

FMCSA completed pre-tests of two hours-of-service (HOS) flexibility pilot programs set to launch in 2027. The Flexible Sleeper Berth Program would allow drivers to split their 10-hour off-duty time in different configurations than the current 7/3 or 8/2 splits allowed under 49 CFR 395.1(g). The Split Duty Period Program would allow drivers to pause their 14-hour driving window for up to three hours each day for non-driving activities such as detention or loading.

FMCSA has not published enrollment criteria or effective dates for the pilots. Carriers interested in participating should monitor the FMCSA pilot program page at fmcsa.dot.gov for enrollment announcements. Drivers cannot use the flexibility provisions until FMCSA grants the carrier enrollment in the pilot and the carrier updates its electronic logging device to support the new HOS rules.

What to update in driver qualification files this week

Pull the driver qualification file for every driver hired in the past 12 months. Verify the ELDT certificate lists a school currently on the TPR. If the school was removed, contact the driver and require retraining at a TPR-listed school before the driver's next dispatch.

Add English-proficiency documentation to every file. The documentation should show the method you used to verify proficiency at hire (interview notes, road test observations, written test results). A signed attestation from the driver alone does not satisfy 49 CFR 391.11.

Carriers who cannot produce TPR verification or English-proficiency documentation for a current driver should place the driver out of service until the carrier completes the verification. Dispatching a driver who does not meet qualification standards is a violation that carries CSA points in the Driver Fitness BASIC and can result in civil penalties up to $16,864 per violation under 49 CFR 386, Appendix B.