The CEO of one of the country’s largest commercial truck-driver training networks said the U.S. is facing a full-blown safety crisis fueled by fraudulent commercial driver’s license (CDL) schools — and that the federal system designed to vet training providers has instead opened the door to thousands of bad actors.
In an interview with FreightWaves, Steve Gold, founder and CEO of 160 Driving Academy, said the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Training Provider Registry (TPR) — implemented in February 2022 — has created a massive loophole by allowing CDL schools to self-certify with no proof of state licensure or on-site inspections.
Chicago-based 160 Driving Academy was founded in 2012. With 140 locations across 43 states, 160 Driving Academy has grown to become one of the largest training providers for commercial drivers in the U.S.
While roughly 2,100 CDL schools are licensed under state laws, the federal registry today lists 35,000 providers, many of which Gold describes as “CDL mills” offering little or no real instruction.
“The FMCSA doesn’t follow up, they don’t have any enforcement capabilities,” Gold told FreightWaves, “So, anybody and their brother can put themselves in there as a licensed entity, and the federal government has no clue, and the states have no clue.”
Gold said the disconnect explains how some drivers with no English proficiency, minimal training or fraudulent credentials are securing U.S. commercial driver’s licenses, entering the workforce.
“These schools are bypassing the state rules, and they’re self-certifying that they’re following minimum federal rules, but they’re really not providing any kind of quality training,” Gold said. “They’re like blowing off the state part of the equation, and they’re allowed to do it, because employers are exempt, and everyone claims an exemption.”
TPR’s original design required schools to show proof of state licensure before entering the federal database, he said. But during implementation in 2022, that requirement “vanished,” Gold said, replaced by self-attestation and minimal verification.
“It definitely impacts schools like us, but it also impacts the overall safety of the industry, that’s the bigger issue,” Gold said.
On Monday, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the removal of nearly 3,000 commercial driver’s license training providers from the FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry for failing to meet federal standards. Another 4,500 training providers were placed on notice for potential noncompliance.
A recent federal review found that 44% of of the 16,000 truck driving schools in the U.S. don’t comply with government rules.
The FMCSA did not return a request for comment from FreightWaves.
Widespread fraudulent licenses are being issued across North America
A recent Oregonian/OregonLive investigation uncovered an alleged cash-for-CDLs bribery scheme involving Skyline CDL School, which regulators say mailed gold envelopes stuffed with $520–$530 in cash to a Washington state examiner in exchange for passing scores for unqualified students.
Investigators found that some drivers never took the test at all, and 80% failed when retested, prompting Washington to revoke Skyline’s accreditation and cancel more than 100 commercial licenses.
Officials said Skyline used unqualified instructors, falsified records, bypassed English-language requirements and steered students to an examiner who allegedly entered fraudulent results for no-show drivers.
A FreightWaves investigation earlier this year revealed that Texas authorities discovered large-scale fraud among Mexican Licencias Federal de Conductor (LFC) holders — the Mexican equivalent of a CDL.
Officers found encampments of commercial trucks around major cities, many operated by drivers holding digital Mexican CDLs who were not actually from Mexico.
Texas Highway Patrol Major Omar Villarreal told FreightWaves that roadside tests quickly exposed the deception.
Troopers would ask supposed Guadalajara residents about the city’s beaches — even though Guadalajara is landlocked. Some drivers responded, “The water is really blue,” inadvertently revealing the license was fake.
Drivers admitted they purchased fraudulent LFCs for around $2,500 by emailing a selfie and wiring money to a third-party vendor. Officers then linked these fake licenses to rising crash rates among LFC holders across Texas.
Freight industry leaders warn of a deteriorating safety landscape
FreightWaves CEO Craig Fuller has described the post-2022 training environment as a “hellscape” in which deregulation has allowed thousands of unqualified drivers onto U.S. highways.
Approximately 100,000 truck crashes occur annually, resulting in about 5,000 fatalities — a 40% increase in deaths since 2014, according to federal crash statistics cited in FreightWaves’ reporting.
Self-certified providers often offer only a few hours of online instruction — or in some cases direct students to watch YouTube videos — before sending them to a DMV to obtain a CDL.
In October, Duffy said he will pursue schools issuing fraudulent certifications and fleets that hire drivers with illegitimate credentials.
“Who is testing these drivers?” Duffy asked. “Who is checking if they speak English or have basic skills to operate big rigs?”
Duffy said DOT is prepared to use financial penalties, federal investigations, and even revoking states’ authority to issue CDLs if necessary. He also announced interagency coordination with the Department of Homeland Security and ICE to bolster enforcement.
Gold argues FMCSA can resolve much of the crisis almost immediately by reinstating the original rule requiring proof of state licensure before a school can appear in the TPR.
“You have 35,000 training providers, they cannot all be following rules and safety training drivers on our highways.We only have 2,100 state-licensed schools,” he said. “Only state-licensed schools should be in the registry. Everyone else needs to go get state-licensed if you want to train people.”
He said fraudulent CDL mills hurt not just reputable training schools — which invest in equipment, instructors and audits — but also the driving public.
“There’s a direct correlation between lack of training and crashes,” Gold said. “These CDL mills are putting unprepared drivers behind the wheel of 80,000-pound vehicles. It’s dangerous, and it needs to stop.”
