DOT Enforcement Efforts Could Tighten the Commercial Driver Labor Market

The U.S. Department of Transportation recently announced an interagency effort to combat “fraud, waste, and abuse” in the trucking industry. This project includes the “emergency removal” of 110 CDL schools associated with more than 5,000 drivers who “failed English language proficiency tests.” It also includes a nationwide audit of third-party CDL skills testers and states’ oversight of those testers, as well as a synchronized sweep by the Department of Homeland Security targeting more than 200 CDL training schools across 23 states.

The U.S. DOT’s emergency removal of training providers focuses on Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) providers who “repeatedly certified drivers who did not meet federal qualification standards,” specifically relating to English Language Proficiency requirements, although several other cases of non-compliance were uncovered as part of an FMCSA investigation.

The effort also addresses states’ oversight of their CDL programs, which, in extreme situations, can lead to a decertification process that would disallow a state from issuing, renewing, transferring, or upgrading any CDLs.

For commercial trucking companies, this could result in a decrease in the labor supply and potentially higher recruiting and training costs.

For carriers already operating in a competitive driver market, that may be the most immediate practical impact. Fewer qualified drivers entering or remaining in the available labor pool could place additional pressure on recruiting, retention, and training while federal and state agencies continue to address compliance within CDL training and testing programs.