The Trump Administration just ordered over 550 active commercial driving schools to shut down immediately after federal inspectors uncovered shocking safety failures that have put American families at grave risk on our nation’s highways.
Story Snapshot
- Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced closure of 550+ truck and bus driving schools following 1,426 federal site inspections
- Inspectors discovered unqualified instructors, inadequate testing, failure to teach hazardous materials handling, and improper equipment at failing schools
- Crackdown follows deadly crashes including Florida incident where unauthorized immigrant truck driver killed three people making illegal U-turn
- 448 schools outright failed safety standards while 109 preemptively removed themselves from federal registry to avoid scrutiny
Trump Administration Takes Decisive Action on Road Safety
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the closure of more than 550 commercial driving schools nationwide on February 19, 2026, following comprehensive safety inspections by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The FMCSA conducted 1,426 site visits across the country, revealing widespread failures at schools training future truck and bus drivers. Of the schools inspected, 448 failed to meet basic safety standards established in 2022, while an additional 109 schools voluntarily removed themselves from the federal registry before facing official sanctions. This aggressive enforcement marks a sharp departure from the lax oversight that characterized previous administrations.
Deadly Crashes Expose Training Failures and Immigration Concerns
The crackdown gained urgency following a series of fatal crashes involving inadequately trained commercial drivers. In August 2025, an unauthorized immigrant truck driver killed three people on Florida’s Turnpike while making an illegal U-turn, exposing dangerous gaps in driver qualification and immigration enforcement. Just months later in early February 2026, another crash in Indiana claimed four lives, further demonstrating the deadly consequences of substandard training. These tragedies reveal how the previous administration’s negligence on both immigration enforcement and driver safety standards created a perfect storm of preventable deaths on American roads.
Systematic Failures Discovered at Failing Schools
Federal inspectors documented shocking deficiencies at hundreds of commercial driving schools across the nation. Investigators found schools employing unqualified instructors who lacked proper credentials to teach aspiring truck and bus drivers. Many facilities failed to adequately test students on essential skills, while others completely ignored requirements to teach hazardous materials handling—a critical safety component for commercial drivers. Schools also used improper or outdated equipment that failed to prepare students for real-world driving conditions. The inspections revealed widespread abuse of self-certification systems, where schools and trucking companies essentially graded their own compliance without meaningful oversight, allowing dangerous practices to flourish unchecked.
Industry Leaders Support Enforcement While Raising Concerns
Jeffery Burkhardt, chairman of the National Trucking Schools Group, praised the closures as necessary to eliminate substandard operators who have tarnished the industry’s reputation. Brad Ball, president of Roadmaster Drivers School, condemned “bad actors” who cram required curricula into rushed two or three-day programs instead of proper 30-day comprehensive courses. However, Andrew Poliakoff, executive director of the Commercial Vehicle Training Association, called the enforcement a “very important first step” while cautioning that some listed entities, including legitimate colleges, may have been mislabeled due to vendor issues rather than actual training failures. Transportation Secretary Duffy emphasized that “American families should have confidence” that commercial drivers receive proper training before operating massive vehicles on public roads.
More Than 550 Commercial Driving Schools To Close After Checks: Transportation Department https://t.co/DZfl6jlXoF
— zerohedge (@zerohedge) February 21, 2026
This enforcement action represents the Trump Administration’s commitment to protecting American families from the consequences of regulatory failures under previous leadership. The closures will force short-term disruptions in truck and bus driver training, potentially delaying commercial driver’s license issuance in affected areas. States like Florida face particularly significant impacts, with 148 schools previously placed on notice in December 2025. California became the only state to lose federal funding over poor CDL program oversight. Long-term implications include consolidated industry standards, elimination of diploma mill operations, and improved English proficiency requirements that the previous administration ignored. While aspiring drivers may face temporary delays, these measures prioritize public safety over the convenience of schools that cut corners and endangered lives through inadequate training practices.
Sources:
Transportation Dept. to Close Over 550 Driving Schools Over Safety Failures – WTAM
