Ten truck-driving schools in Florida — including one in West Palm Beach — were ordered by President Donald Trump’sadministration to immediately cease operations as part of a nationwide crackdown on immigrants obtaining commercial driver’s licenses.
The U.S. Department of Transportation ordered 110 companies in 23 states to stop operations effective Aug. 31. These schools are accused of giving driver’s licenses to people who were not able to pass roadside English proficiency tests.
They were ordered to immediately cease all operations as a training provider, including administering curricula, utilizing facilities for instruction and conducting behind-the-wheel training.
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“USDOT has spent the last year-and-a-half strengthening the rules of the road and removing dangerous foreign drivers from our trucking industry,” said U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. “To fully root out the scourge of fraud, hold criminals accountable, and restore safety, we need the support of federal law enforcement. I am so grateful for President Trump raising the alarm on this issue, and to Vice President Vance for leading the charge to crack down on fraud nationwide. From states failing to follow the law to shady training schools and illicit companies, together we will tackle every link in the chain.”
What Florida truck-driving schools were closed?
- Road Pro CDL Training – Lake Wales
- A1 CDL LLC - Lakeland
- American Trucking, LLC – Orlando and Opa Locka
- CDL Technical & Motorcycle – Hialeah Gardens
- CDL Training of Tampa LLC - Tampa
- East USA CDL Academy - Sanford
- FLORIDA CDL Truck Driving School – Lake Wales
- Florida FTS
- Metropolitan Trucking & Technical Institute – Miami and West Palm Beach
- Soler & Soler CDL School Corp – Miami
Why were truck-driving schools shut down in Florida?
According to federal officials, in the past year and a half, more than 28,000 drivers have been taken off the roads for failing to speak English.
In July, the Trump administration announced a crack down on fraudulent and illegal practices in CDL schools. A synchronized surge was conducted Aug. 31 at more than 200 driving schools across 23 states.
Do truck-driving schools test students for English proficiency?
Since 1937, the federal government has required truck drivers to be proficient in English. That means they must read and speak English sufficiently to converse with the general public, to understand highway traffic signs and signals, to respond to official inquiries and to make entries on reports and records.
The written test people must take to get a learner's permit is generally in English. In Wisconsin, it's also available in several other languages, including Burmese, Russian, Serbian and Spanish. With the learner's permit in hand, people then can enroll in behind-the-wheel training, which is handled by the training schools.
From there, people take a hands-on skills test to get a commercial driver's license. That skills test, per federal law, must be conducted in English, and interpreters are not allowed.
Sophie Carson, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, contributed to this report.
Michelle Spitzer is a journalist for The USA TODAY NETWORK-FLORIDA. As the network’s Rapid Response reporter, she covers Florida’s breaking news. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: CDL, truck-driving school in West Palm shut down by Trump. Here's why.
