Transportation Department Shuts 110 Trucking Schools Over 5,000 Drivers' English Test Failures
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 1
Transportation Department Shuts 110 Trucking Schools Over 5,000 Drivers' English Test Failures
3 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Sep 1
Summary
110 commercial driver’s license schools were ordered to close immediately after the Transportation Department said about 5,000 enrolled drivers failed roadside English-proficiency tests.
Those tests became more consequential after Trump and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy tightened enforcement in early 2025, requiring drivers who fail to be placed out of service rather than merely ticketed.
DHS said it carried out a one-day sweep of more than 200 training schools across about two dozen states, and officials are moving to shut another 160 for broader noncompliance such as unlicensed instructors and inadequate training space.
The crackdown has drawn criticism because analysts say no data links English proficiency to truck crashes, while advocates warn Latino drivers could be disproportionately targeted.
DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin tied the school closures to a wider push against undocumented immigrants, widening the action beyond a road-safety enforcement dispute.