The Truck Safety Crisis Begins at CDL School

In order to drive a commercial motor vehicle, like a semi-truck, aspiring drivers are required to earn their Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). Previously, those seeking a CDL would be required to attend a state-licensed CDL school and participate in a comprehensive training program to ensure they fully understand how to safely operate a heavy truck. However, a regulatory shift in 2022 allows anyone to register themselves as a CDL instructor, leading to a major increase in the number of new drivers who are not truly qualified to operate their vehicles.

This change comes directly from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which introduced a self-certification database for CDL instructors, which does not utilize any screening processes to determine if those registering are properly qualified or if they adhere to state mandates for licensing. Now, prospective drivers who may not know what type of program to look for when researching CDL schools could go through a “CDL mill” without realizing it.

How Do CDL Mills Differ From State-Licensed Schools?

Prior to the FMCSA’s rule change in February 2022, anyone who wished to get their CDL was required to attend a state-licensed program that included rigorous and comprehensive training that stressed the importance of technical proficiency, safety and compliance with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations. These legitimate CDL schools put students through 160 hours of in-depth training.

Now, prospective drivers can choose an instructor from the FMCSA’s federal registry of training providers who are not required to provide any evidence to show they have properly trained a driver. Virtually any entity is now able to self-certify as a training provider, regardless of how much training they provide to students. Many students who attend these programs may only be given a few hours of instruction or simply watch videos about operating a commercial motor vehicle before their self-certified instructor sends them to take the CDL exam. CDL schools that sell licenses or certifications without providing students with proper training are considered CDL mills. There is no guarantee that these students have even been properly trained inside a semi-truck before trucking companies hire them.

What Effect Has This Has On the Trucking Industry?

As states have eliminated their own licensing standards and instead opted to defer to the federal guidelines, the issue of CDL mills has worsened. The Department of Transportation has attempted to address this problem since the end of 2025 when the FMCSA reviewed the compliance of trainers and ultimately removed 3,000 training providers from the registry. In the first quarter of 2026, another 7,000 providers and 550 truck driving schools were removed from the registry. Following an undercover on-site sting operation of trucking schools all over the nation, another 448 notices of proposed removals were issued to schools that failed to meet safety standards.

Although the recent efforts of the Department of Transportation have helped to shut down some of these operations, the consistent use of the FMCSA self-registry system as a loophole will allow this issue to continue if a permanent solution is not created. Former CDL Instructor Steven “Trucker Steve” Snyder spoke with Nationally Recognized and Board-Certified Truck Accident Attorney David W. Craig on the latest episode of the After the Crash podcast and offered his perspective on CDL mills.

“The biggest CDL school mill is the FMCSA. They don’t enforce what they put on their regulations. It is not enforced…. They have talked about the self-certification of CDL schools…. All you have to do is self-certify. ‘I would do everything that you want me to do. I’ll follow all the rules,’ and they don’t,” Trucker Steve said. “’Good’ CDL schools out there — the ones who are state licensed and credited — they can be a bad CDL school. It doesn’t make any difference. A good CDL school is one who usually will follow the entry level driver training, teach the students how to back up and proficiency….”

With the number of truck accidents increasing by 40% since 2014, it is clear that lack of proper driver training has become a serious national crisis. According to the National Highway Safety Administration, 2023 saw over 150,000 highway truck accidents. But as long as the self-certification loophole remains in place, these wrecks will continue to happen. In order to protect the American people, the FMCSA must find a real solution to this problem.

After the Crash Podcast: A Legal Resource for Truck Wreck Victims

After the Crash is currently ranked No. 4 in personal injury podcasts on FeedSpot. It is the highest-ranked podcast focusing on personal injury resulting from commercial vehicle and truck wrecks.

The podcast was launched over five years ago, in the fall of 2020, by attorney David W. Craig. It educates and empowers listeners in a digestible format. It is primarily aimed at the victims and the families of victims of semi or other large truck accidents.

It is David’s goal to equip listeners with the knowledge necessary to navigate this tough time in their lives. Anyone — truck wreck survivors, legal professionals, healthcare workers, and anyone in between — can tune into After the Crash for free.

A new episode is released monthly, featuring a guest with an important perspective. In each episode, David interviews individuals involved in commercial motor vehicle cases, or experts whose skills are crucial to understanding trucking cases.

Episodes are posted on YouTube, Spotify, Amazon and Apple Podcasts, and the Craig, Kelley & Faultless website.

Get to Know the Guest: A Voice for Trucker Safety

Steven “Trucker Steve” Snyder is a former truck driver and CDL instructor who now dedicates his time to creating informative YouTube videos for everyone in the trucking industry. His content focuses on driver training tips, as well as the current issues within the trucking industry. Since retiring, he has used his platform to bring awareness to the truck safety issues we see on the roads every day as a result of dangerously poor driver training.

Watch his appearance on episode 84 of After the Crash on YouTube.

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.