Trucking Schools Face Closure Amid Compliance Crackdown

Wed Dec 03 2025 04:53:58 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

Nearly half of U.S. truck driving schools risk closure as the federal Transportation Department enforces strict compliance regulations following a tragic accident linked to unqualified drivers.

The U.S. Transportation Department announced plans to revoke accreditation from nearly 3,000 truck driving schools that are not meeting federal training standards. This move affects about 44% of the 16,000 schools in the country. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy declared this crackdown as part of an initiative to ensure truck drivers are adequately trained and qualified, following a fatal accident caused by an unlicensed driver. Schools that do not comply within 30 days risk losing federal funding.

Nearly 44% of the 16,000 truck driving schools in the U.S. may be forced to close after a review by the federal Transportation Department found they may not be complying with government requirements.

The Transportation Department said Monday that it plans to revoke the accreditation of nearly 3,000 schools unless they can comply with training requirements in the next 30 days. Another 4,000 schools are being warned they may face similar action.

This crackdown on trucking schools is the latest step in the government’s effort to ensure that truck drivers are qualified and eligible to hold a commercial license. This initiative was spurred by a tragic incident in Florida where a truck driver reportedly not authorized to be in the U.S. caused a crash that killed three people.

“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.

The Transportation Department indicated that the 3,000 schools under scrutiny failed to meet training standards and did not maintain accurate training records, with allegations of manipulating data. The complete list of targeted schools has not yet been publicly released.