The U.S. Department of Transportation has issued more than 550 notices of removal, or decertification, to commercial driver's license training schools found in violation of federal safety standards, according to a statement from the DOT. The action comes as Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation this week into several commercial driving schools in his state for allegedly providing inadequate training, including to non-English speakers.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Mike Kucharski, co-owner and vice president of Illinois-based JKC Trucking, said the problem extends beyond safety concerns. "This is an economic issue, not just a safety issue," he said. "When unqualified drivers get on the road, it doesn't just increase risk, it drives up insurance costs, which has already risen for all of us; our insurance keeps going up." Kucharski argued that improperly trained drivers create cascading effects on supply chains and consumer prices.
A statement from Paxton's office said the practices under investigation violate federal law requiring basic English comprehension and Texas law mandating adequate training to operate a commercial vehicle. "We are investigating entities endangering Texans by providing inadequate commercial driver training," the statement read.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has emphasized enforcement against what he described as "sham CDL training schools" that bypass safety protocols. The DOT's decertification notices targeted schools across multiple states that were found to be certifying drivers who did not meet federal standards.
What the Left Is Saying
Immigration rights advocates and some Democratic lawmakers have urged caution in how enforcement actions are framed, warning against broad characterizations of immigrant workers. "We should be very careful about using isolated incidents to paint an entire community," said a spokesperson for the American Immigration Law Foundation, speaking generally about policy approaches. Advocates note that commercial trucking has faced driver shortages for years and that labor market pressures affect all drivers regardless of immigration status.
Some progressive groups have raised concerns about enforcement mechanisms targeting non-English speakers, arguing they could lead to discrimination against legal immigrants and naturalized citizens. Labor organizations representing truck drivers have pointed out that industry-wide training standards and working condition reforms would address safety more comprehensively than focusing on immigration status alone.
"The conversation should be about making sure every driver on the road meets rigorous standards," said a spokesperson for the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, which represents professional drivers. "That means better training requirements, stronger enforcement against fraudulent schools, and holding companies accountable—not targeting workers based on how they look or where they're from."
What the Right Is Saying
Conservative officials and industry groups have called for stricter enforcement of existing immigration and licensing laws, arguing that the current situation represents a failure to enforce rules already on the books. "Federal law requires commercial drivers to read and speak English. We're simply asking that these laws be enforced," said a spokesperson for the American Trucking Associations.
Kucharski argued that the lack of enforcement creates an uneven playing field for legitimate trucking businesses. He described how some drivers obtain non-domiciled CDLs from states like California and New York, allowing them to undercut American-owned trucking companies on pricing. "All our truckers are fighting for the same load, and it goes to the lowest bidder," he said.
Paxton's investigation has been praised by conservative commentators who argue that fraudulent CDL issuance represents both a safety hazard and a form of immigration enforcement evasion. "Attorney General Paxton is right to investigate schools that may be helping illegal immigrants obtain commercial licenses through fraud," wrote one conservative commentator in an opinion column. "This isn't about being anti-immigrant—it's about enforcing the law."
What the Numbers Show
The DOT has issued more than 550 notices of removal to CDL training schools since enforcement efforts intensified. Federal regulations require commercial drivers to demonstrate basic English proficiency and meet minimum training standards before obtaining a CDL.
Highway safety data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows that large truck fatalities have fluctuated in recent years, with 5,837 large-truck-related traffic deaths recorded in 2021, declining to 5,282 in 2022 before rising again. The agency has not specifically attributed crashes involving fraudulent CDLs as a distinct category.
The commercial trucking industry has reported persistent driver shortages, with the American Trucking Associations estimating a shortage of approximately 80,000 drivers nationwide prior to recent enforcement actions. Industry analysts note that labor constraints have led some carriers to increase compensation, which in turn affects shipping costs.
The Bottom Line
The parallel investigations by Paxton and the DOT represent an escalation of federal and state efforts to address what officials describe as fraudulent CDL issuance practices. Both Attorney General Paxton's office and Secretary Duffy's department have framed their actions as public safety measures aimed at enforcing existing law rather than creating new immigration policy.
The cases cited in these investigations—including crashes allegedly caused by drivers who obtained licenses under false identities—have provided concrete examples that officials point to when justifying enforcement. However, advocates on multiple sides of the debate note that systemic solutions to highway safety will require addressing training standards, school accountability, and industry labor practices more comprehensively.
Kucharski said he hopes continued investigations will lead to meaningful change. "This has to stop because the longer this continues, there's going to be more accidents, more people that are going to perish," he said. Industry observers say they will be watching for the outcomes of Paxton's investigation and any additional DOT enforcement actions as indicators of how aggressively federal and state authorities intend to pursue CDL fraud cases.