FMCSA Closures Put CDL Training on Fleet Watchlist

Training providers face a wider crackdown

FMCSA has closed 9,970 truck driver training school locations as of Oct. 5, according to Transport Topics, in a two-year enforcement campaign aimed at unsafe practices and noncompliant commercial driver training providers.

An agency spokesperson told TT that the closures have largely come through investigations and safety inspections. FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs has described the agency's posture as zero tolerance for providers that fail to meet federal training rules.

Registry checks are becoming more important

The enforcement push centers on the Training Provider Registry, where some operators allegedly used self-certification to claim compliance with Entry-Level Driver Training requirements. FMCSA's removed-provider page lists nearly 7,000 provider entries from 2025 and 2026 with names, locations, removal dates and reasons.

TT reported that just over 31,000 training sites remained active, while nearly 800 schools were still under regulatory review. The agency is sending notices to providers that have not certified completion of driver training instruction within the past year.

Hiring pipelines need extra diligence

The issue is not limited to for-hire carriers. Utilities, municipalities, construction fleets, waste operations, private delivery fleets and service organizations all depend on reliable CDL training pipelines when they hire or promote drivers into commercial roles.

For fleets, the immediate control is simple: verify that a training provider is active in the FMCSA registry before sending candidates, reimbursing tuition or accepting a certificate as clean compliance evidence. If a school is removed after a driver enters the pipeline, HR, safety and compliance teams may need a plan for documentation, retraining and audit defense.