20k Unsafe Drivers Pulled Off the Road, 28k Illegal CDLs Revoked
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy is marking the one‑year anniversary of President Trump’s executive order on trucking reform by touting sweeping federal actions that have reshaped the industry. The department’s efforts led to kicking more than 20,000 non‑English‑proficient drivers out of service, revoking over 28,000 illegally issued foreign CDLs, shutting down thousands of fraudulent training schools, and forcing noncompliant states like California and New York into line through massive funding penalties...
In a statement released on Friday, Transportation officials stated, “In year one, Secretary Duffy cracked down on drivers who can’t read our road signs, closed loopholes allowing unqualified foreign drivers to get licenses to drive big rigs, held states accountable for illegally issuing non-domiciled Commercial Driver’s License (CDLs), and shut down thousands of fraudulent training schools...
To further the efforts to make roadways safer, Duffy accomplished the following: (Emphasis added by DOT officials)
Ensuring Commercial Motor Vehicle Drivers Speak English
- In May 2025, Secretary Duffy issued new guidance to enforce English Language Proficiency standards, rescinding an Obama-era policy that relaxed the rules around enforcing English proficiency. In June 2025, ELP was officially reincorporated.
- FMCSA is implementing English-only testing for drivers—a commonsense rule that ensures big-rig drivers can effectively communicate with law enforcement.
- FMCSA withheld $40 million from California in October 2025 for refusing to enforce ELP standards. As a result, California officially began enforcing ELP in January 2026.
- Since June 2025, more than 20,000 truckers have been kicked out of service for failing to meet basic requirements.
Cracking Down on States Issuing Foreign Drivers Illegal Licenses
- In June 2025, FMCSA launched a nationwide audit to hold states accountable for illegally issuing non-domiciled Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs).
- FMCSA has identified 30+ states issuing non-compliant CDLs and sent official enforcement actions to 26 states.
- FMCSA withheld $160 million from California (Jan 2026) and $73 million from New York (April 2026) for failing to revoke illegally issued non-domiciled CDLs.
- FMCSA finalized its rule in February 2026 to stop unqualified foreign drivers from obtaining a non-domiciled CDL.
- More than 28,000 illegally issued licenses have been successfully revoked nationwide.
- FMCSA mobilized 300+investigators across all 50 states in December 2025 to audit approximately 1,500 training providers.
- More than 6,800 unqualified training providers were removed from the FMCSA registry in the past year.
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