Q&A

What’s really going wrong in CDL training?

Driver academy founder shares his take on the DOT's crackdown on CDL training centers

(Image courtesy Steve Gold)

The Department of Transportation is cracking down on noncompliant CDL training centers. At the beginning of this month, the agency announced the removal of nearly 3,000 training providers from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s registry and put another 4,500 training providers on notice due to potential noncompliance.

What are the biggest issues with these training centers, and how can carriers safely recruit new drivers? For answers, we turned to Steve Gold, founder of 160 Driving Academy.

— Interview by Shefali Kapadia, edited by Bianca Prieto

What do you see as the biggest issue with noncompliant CDL training centers?

These organizations are not training drivers in compliance with state and federal laws and rules. Numerous organizations have disregarded these regulations as they believed there was no downside to them. They turned out more and more drivers without proper training. This is after these organizations have attested in the Federal Training Provider Registry that they are compliant with all federal laws and rules for CDL training. Now, Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has publicly stated that the DOT “is coming after these organizations” and “sham schools” as these laws and rules matter. There will be a range of consequences, we would guess mostly legal, as these organizations have been abusing federal and state rules, as well as taking money either directly or indirectly from new unsuspecting students for training. It's both a consumer and safety issue, and the Department of Transportation has been explicit that they will not hold back on enforcement and consequences here.

Do you believe the DOT’s crackdown will impact driver recruitment and the overall pool of available drivers?

Given how the DOT has implemented the “non-domiciled” rule, I don’t think there will be an impact on driver recruitment and the overall pool of drivers. These drivers will supposedly exit the workforce over the next 20 months ratably as their CDLs will become invalidated and they will be unable to renew them at their respective DMV—so figure 15,000 ”non-domiciled drivers” exit the trucking workforce each month, assuming they actually go to their DMV in compliance with their CDL expiration. Earlier this fall, many declared the non-domiciled CDL workforce was a small percentage of the total driver workforce and not a big deal. I suggest everybody read the 8,000 comments in the Federal Register on the rule and see who weighed in on this issue. It is likely much bigger than the “small percentage of the workforce” that has been reported.

The trucking industry’s No. 1 issue right now is getting higher rates from shippers and improving profitability. While some argue we need more demand for trucking, lower interest rates and tariff relief as we enter 2026 to bolster the economy, there are simply too many fleets—and too many drivers—chasing freight right now. Much of the oversupply of drivers was caused by the non-domiciled CDL workforce, as states needed to find relief for their unemployment costs due to immigration. Over the next two years, the industry will have the ability to get the available workforce more in balance through these actions, as the industry won't be flooded with new CDL holders. I get why a number of employers of all types are concerned, but if wages increase enough from the industry, then numerous CDL holders will quickly return to the industry, eliminating driver risk.

Are there larger systemic issues related to CDL schools and truck driver training?

Yes, there are major systemic issues related to CDL schools and driver training. Almost all states, with the exception of Indiana, have laws and/or rules and/or statutes for CDL schools, and for the right reason; they don’t want to see more highway fatalities and ensure new drivers attend CDL school matters for each state, as safety is paramount. However, numerous employers want exemptions from federal and state laws and rules, as it costs money to educate new drivers. The FMCSA and states have been complicit in allowing exemptions.

The result is 2,100 state-licensed CDL schools across the nation, but 33,000 CDL schools at the federal level that received an “employer exemption.” So we have 33,000 different curricula, training methods and unlicensed instructors providing certifications for the trucking industry? That makes no sense. Many employers would say, “I know how to train a new driver, so why do I need to follow some state or federal rules?” Would you go to a doctor who was trained by his mother instead of at a licensed medical school? This systemic issue puts the American public at risk every day. This is a safety issue and why Secretary Duffy is so focused on eliminating CDL mills and sham schools.

For carriers recruiting drivers, what would you advise them to do?

Only hire drivers who attended a state-licensed school. And when employers road test a new driver, make sure it is objective, because if the evaluation of a new hire is not objective or is incorrect, the risks are massive.