Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy removes 110 commercial driver's license schools to improve driver quality and reduce highway fatalities.
The administration announced the emergency removal of 110 commercial driver's license schools across the nation to target fraud and reduce highway fatalities. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy stated the move follows fatal truck accidents in Florida and Southern California involving drivers from California.
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The shutdown includes 11 schools in California and 3 schools in Wisconsin. This action addresses the fact that more than 5,000 drivers failed English language proficiency tests. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy noted that immigration status should not be the basis of qualification, emphasizing that the priority is identifying good drivers. Rama Dhillon, CEO of the Lathrop's North American Punjabi Trucking Association, stated that the rule requires drivers of 53-foot trailers should receive training on those specific trailers. While the rule existed, it was not previously enforced. Dhillon noted that the number of certified truck schools nationwide jumped from 2,700 in 2017 to 32,000 by 2019. Sanjay Varshney, a professor of finance at Sacramento State University, noted that the move may cause inflationary pressures on daily goods like groceries and gas as costs are passed to consumers.
Sources
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Emergency removal of 11 California trucking schools could soon impact consumers
CBS News
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Trump administration shuts down 3 truck-driving schools in Wisconsin, alleging fraud
jsonline.com
Paywall and unreadable sources
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Citing California as a problem state, Trump administration shuts down 110 trucking schools
Los Angeles Times
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110 Trucking Schools Closed for English-Language Lapses
The New York Times
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U.S. Transportation Secretary Duffy, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Mullin, White House Fraud Task Force, & Top U.S. Attorneys Launch Historic Interagency Effort to Crack Down on Fraud in Trucking Industry | US Department of Transportation
Department of Transportation (.gov)