Washington trucking school shut down amid Trump's emergency fraud investigation

Key Points:

• Federal agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), have launched a historic multi-state crackdown on fraud in the trucking industry, targeting commercial driver training, licensing, and related criminal activities such as identity fraud and labor exploitation.
• Over 110 commercial driver training providers and 23 online trucking schools have been shut down across multiple states due to violations including certifying unqualified drivers, inadequate training, and fraudulent practices; these providers are linked to 239 fatal commercial vehicle incidents.
• The crackdown also addresses concerns about illegal immigrants obtaining commercial driver's licenses (CDLs), with officials citing risks from drivers who do not meet English proficiency or safety standards, and threatening states with penalties including withholding federal highway funds for noncompliance.
• FMCSA is initiating a nationwide audit of third-party CDL skills testers and state oversight to ensure compliance with federal standards, emphasizing that CDL skills tests must be conducted in English and enforcing removal of drivers who fail English proficiency requirements.
• Since mid-2022, the Department of Transportation has removed over 28,000 drivers for English proficiency violations, canceled over 30,000 improperly issued licenses, and taken action against more than 8,000 unqualified training schools, reflecting intensified efforts to improve safety and integrity in the trucking sector.