Op-Ed: No more CDL mills: Trump’s DOT puts safety back in the driver’s seat

By Steve Cortes | League of American Workers
The Center Square

As families prepare for the holidays, America’s truck drivers are doing what they always do – keeping promises to working people by delivering the goods that make this season possible. They are the backbone of our economy and the lifeline of Main Street. Yet, lurking behind this essential workforce are fraudsters and fly-by-night operators who cut corners and put lives at risk. Thanks to the Trump administration, that ends now.

Last week, U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy delivered one of the most sweeping enforcement actions in recent memory – removing nearly 3,000 fraudulent commercial driver’s license (CDL) training providers from the federal registry and putting another 4,000 on notice. These so-called “CDL mills” have churned out undertrained drivers for years, endangering families on the road and eroding trust in a profession built on skill and responsibility.

Training for an 80,000-pound truck isn’t a box to check – it’s a promise to every family sharing the road that safety comes first. Yet, for too long, shady operators looking to make quick buck have gamed the system for profit, while the Biden Administration looked the other way. With this crackdown, the Trump Administration is drawing a hard line: America’s highways belong to trained professionals – not to fraudsters selling shortcuts.

It’s a victory for millions of honest truckers who do things the right way. Chris Spear, president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations (ATA), representing thousands of patriotic trucking companies across the nation, put it bluntly: “If you’re issuing certificates to anyone who can fog a mirror, you’re on notice.” ATA has long demanded tougher enforcement to shut down sham training outfits that gamble with safety for profit. Now, those demands are being met.

And this isn’t a one-off. This crackdown builds on a clear record of decisive action by the Trump administration. Earlier this year, Secretary Duffy pushed states to purge thousands of illegal drivers from their rolls. That included more than 17,000 illegals in California alone – legions of people who should never have been behind the wheel of a big rig. No legal right to even be here, no obligation to follow the rules, and no business operating heavy machinery on American highways.

Trucking isn’t just a job – it’s a calling answered by millions of skilled Americans who keep our economy humming, our store shelves stocked, and our communities supplied. That’s why this profession must be protected from threats both inside and out. Internally, bad actors and fraudulent CDL mills undermine safety and tarnish the reputation of every honest driver. Externally, trial lawyers circle like vultures, turning accidents into jackpot justice schemes that bleed family-owned trucking companies dry and increase costs for everyone. If we allow these dual forces to erode standards and exploit tragedy, we don’t just endanger truckers – we endanger the entire supply chain that powers this country.

President Trump and Secretary Duffy deserve credit for taking bold action where previous administrations failed. This crackdown is a victory for highway safety, for American workers, and for every family who expects to travel our roads without fear. The message is clear: we’re taking back our roads and taking back our country.