Driving a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) is vastly different from driving a passenger vehicle, and professional drivers require a special license to legally operate heavy trucks, just like pilots need a special license to fly a plane. When someone chooses to pursue commercial driving as a career, they typically attend a state-licensed commercial driver’s license (CDL) school that offers comprehensive programs.
But in recent years, regulatory changes have allowed prospective drivers to instead receive their training from a self-registered trainer who does not have to demonstrate their qualifications to become a trainer. This has allowed for the generation of CDL mills that are churning out drivers who are not amply prepared to operate heavy trucks, creating major safety risks for everyone on the roads.
Since the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) introduced the self-certification database, truck accidents have increased, and the Department of Transportation is working to shut down these CDL mills. Yet, the fact remains that more needs to be done.
What is a CDL Mill?
A regulatory change that was implemented in February of 2022 fundamentally altered the process for issuing CDLs. This change led to the spread of substandard training facilities known as “CDL mills” that fast track new drivers through their training, inadequately preparing them for the responsibility of operating CMVs.
Any operation that sells licenses or certifications without properly training drivers is considered a CDL mill. This is done by exploiting regulatory loopholes to rapidly process new drivers. They may falsify test results, skip skills evaluations, or use unethical third-party examiners to sign off on road tests that drivers did not take. Some of these operations even falsify Entry-Level Driver Training certifications through the submission of paperwork claiming a driver completed theory or behind-the-wheel instruction.
How Has the CDL Process Changed?
In the past, potential drivers were required to go through rigorous training under state-licensed programs to obtain a CDL. These programs emphasized technical proficiency, safety and compliance with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. However, following dramatic changes from the FMCSA, those seeking to become a CDL trainer could do so using a self-certification database without demonstrating the proper qualifications or adhering the state requirements for licensing.
Due to this regulatory shift, there are now two distinct paths one can take to become a commercial driver:
- The traditional path requires potential drivers to attend one of the 2,100 properly state-licensed CDL schools where they can participate in a comprehensive training program.
- The deregulated path, which allows prospective drivers to receive minimal training from a self-registered “training provider” listed in the federal registry.
There is a significant difference in training quality between these two paths. Legitimate CDL schools offer 160 hours of comprehensive training, but self-certified providers can offer a few hours of orientation before sending a driver to obtain a license. Through the current regulations, almost any entity can now self-certify as training providers.
Self-certified trainers are not required to provide any materials to demonstrate they have properly trained a driver, meaning there is no way to ensure those obtaining CDLs have ever actually trained in a heavy truck. They can receive minimal instruction or just watch videos about truck operation and then take the CDL exam. This issue has worsened as some states eliminate their own standards for licensing and defer to the federal guidelines, including Indiana, which discarded state oversight of truck driver training schools.
Is Anything Being Done to Shut Down CDL Mills?
Beginning in December 2025, the Department of Transportation commenced a broad crackdown on CDL mills. It was announced by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy on Dec. 1, 2025, that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) would review the compliance of the 16,000 training providers listed nationwide. They found widespread noncompliance with entry-level driver training requirements, resulting in the removal of nearly 3,000 training providers from the federal registry and 4,000 more put on notice.
The training providers were removed from the Training Provider Registry for falsifying or manipulating training data; not meeting the required curriculum standards, facility conditions or instructor qualifications; and failing to maintain accurate and complete documentation or refusing to provide records during federal audits or investigations. Those that were put on notice must notify all current and scheduled trainees of their status and provide the FMCSA evidence of their compliance to avoid removal from the registry.
In the first three months of 2026, the U.S. Department of Transportation removed more than 7,000 providers from the registry. Furthermore, more than 550 truck driving schools were removed from the national registry at the end of February 2026. About 300 federal investigators conducted over 1,400 undercover on-site sting operations at trucking schools across the country. Investigators issued 448 notices of proposed removals to the schools that failed to meet safety standards, and 109 training providers removed themselves from the registry voluntarily. Another 97 providers were placed under investigation.
Multiple training schools used fake addresses and failed to teach proper transportation of hazardous materials. The most commons violations included unqualified teachers, improper vehicles used for the type of training offered, incomplete assessments, and inability to meet their state’s specific regulatory requirements.
What Are the Real-World Effects?
With professional drivers on the road with little to no proper training on operating semi tractor-trailers and other CMVs, there are real safety concerns about CDL mills.
Motor carriers need drivers who have received adequate training and understand the safety risks that come with driving a heavy truck. Inability to meet those qualifications creates liabilities for trucking companies, and there is no guarantee that those drivers have the capability to perform their job. When reputable fleets hire new drivers, they invest money into their onboarding, insurance, and routing. Once they learn that the new driver with perfect paperwork can’t actually operate their vehicle or perform inspections, that money has already been wasted.
When that one bad driver gets into an accident or violates safety protocols, everyone connected to the motor carrier faces the consequences. But that is insignificant compared to the harm done to the victims who are injured or killed by these unqualified, untrained and dangerous semi drivers.
The number of truck accidents has risen in recent years, as well, with a 40% increase from 2014 numbers. The National Highway Safety Administration reported that there were 153,472 highway truck accidents in 2023, resulting in 5,472 fatalities. 2024 saw similar fatality levels. In a further evaluation of current driver knowledge, 160 Driving Academy evaluated several experienced professional drivers for large carriers. Half of those assessed scored below 50% on proficiency tests; that failing grade would make them ineligible to work for safety-conscious companies. But not all carriers have adequate safety departments.
The proliferation of CDL mills puts the livelihood of otherwise good trucking companies on the line and creates large safety risks for everyone sharing the roads with commercial motor vehicles. Recent efforts from the Department of Transportation show promise of taking unqualified drivers off the roads, but a more permanent solution needs to be explored.
Injured After a Truck Wreck? Craig, Kelley & Faultless Can Help
Attorneys at Craig, Kelley & Faultless are prepared and have the experience to help victims and their loved ones involved in commercial vehicle wrecks through every aspect of their case. Both attorneys David W. Craig and Scott A. Faultless are board-certified in truck accident law by the NBTA, accredited by the American Bar Association. The firm also has a rapid response team that works with investigators, reconstructionists and mechanics who immediately collect evidence as soon as the firm is hired. Additionally, two of the firm’s litigation paralegals are board-certified in truck accident law by the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys. As David has said, “We don’t just handle truck accident cases. We specialize in these cases.”
Their team-centered approach puts client needs at the forefront, and several attorneys will work on your case to achieve the best possible outcome.
Reach out for a free case consultation today at (888) 253-5198 or online.
David W. Craig is board-certified by the National Board of Trial Advocacy, accredited by the American Bar Association in Truck Accident Law. He sits on the Board of Regents of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys (which requires the board certification in truck accident law). He is the managing partner and one of the founding partners of Craig, Kelley & Faultless LLC. He is recognized as a Top 10 Trucking Trial Lawyer and Top 100 Trial Lawyer in Indiana by the National Trial Lawyers, as well as a Top 50 Indiana lawyer by Super Lawyers. David is the author of Semitruck Wreck, A Guide for Victims and Their Families and It’s Never Been Easier to Hire the Wrong Attorney, both written to help people navigate what comes next after a tragic wreck. He also hosts the podcast After the Crash, where you can gain valuable information about the dangers involving semis and large trucks that do not follow safety protocol regarding speed, weather conditions, maintenance upkeep, etc.
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