The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced Thursday that it will partner with the U.S. Department of Transportation to investigate fraudulent and illegal practices in commercial driver’s license schools. Homeland Security Investigations will work with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. The agencies said HSI and FMCSA will identify and address fraud involving the issuance of non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses to illegal aliens. State and local partners will also participate in the effort.
announcement, the agencies will preserve the integrity of the commercial driver’s license system while maintaining high training standards and preventing fraud. DHS said those efforts will help ensure only qualified individuals operate commercial vehicles. The partnership supports the agencies’ commercial driver’s license enforcement efforts.
FMCSA identifies approximately 75 schools
FMCSA has identified approximately 75 entry-level driver training schools suspected of fraudulent activities, announcement. DHS said investigators suspect some schools used improcertifications. The announcement also alleged some schools falsified training records. DHS said some schools failed to properly train drivers applying for commercial driver’s licenses, along with other violations.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Training Provider Registry lists providers authorized to offer federally required Entry-Level Driver Training for commercial driver’s license students. FMCSA said it uses the registry to identify and remove noncompliant training providers. DOT will engage Homeland Security Investigations in cases involving the schools. HSI will work alongside FMCSA throughout the effort. The agencies announced the partnership Thursday.
Officials outline enforcement efforts
“Too many American lives have been lost in completely avoidable accidents because illegal aliens have been granted commercial driver’s licenses to drive trucks and 18-wheelers on America’s roadways,” Markwayne Mullin, Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said. “DHS law enforcement is partnering with the Department of Transportation to eliminate CDL fraud, strengthen the integrity of the CDL system, and investigate commercial driver’s license schools throughout the country. This is a whole-of-government approach, to keep America’s roads safe.”
Sean P. Duffy, U.S. Secretary of Transportation, said DOT removed more than 24,000 drivers after they failed English-language requirements. He also said states canceled more than 28,000 commercial driver’s licenses illegally issued to foreign drivers and removed more than 9,500 unqualified training schools from FMCSA’s registry. “DHS will be a force multiplier of our efforts to clean up America’s roads,” Duffy said.
DHS said the partnership is part of the administration’s ongoing efforts to root out fraud from American trucking. The announcement said the effort will restore integrity to the industry.
OOIDA calls for stronger oversight
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association called the investigation consistent with concerns it has raised for years. Bryce Mongeon, Director of Legislative Affairs at OOIDA, told FreightWaves the Entry-Level Driver Training system lacks meaningful oversight and enforcement. “Unfortunately, today’s investigation doesn’t come as a surprise,” Mongeon said. “For years, OOIDA has warned Congress and FMCSA that the Entry-Level Driver Training system has lacked meaningful oversight and enforcement.”
Mongeon said OOIDA supports regular audits and inspections instead of self-certification. He also called for faster removal of fraudulent schools from FMCSA’s Training Provider Registry. OOIDA also supports a minimum of 30 hours of behind-the-wheel training. Mongeon said those measures would strengthen oversight of entry-level driver training.
FreightWaves requested additional information from the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. FreightWaves also requested comment from the American Trucking Associations and the Commercial Vehicle Training Association. This story will be updated as additional information becomes available.
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Source: FreightWaves
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
