Are the 18-wheelers next to you properly trained? Texas is investigating several trucking schools for allegedly bypassing safety rules and English requirements.<\/p>\n
AUSTIN, Texas \u2014 Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched a statewide investigation into several Texas trucking schools<\/a> for allegedly certifying unqualified and non-English speaking drivers.<\/p>\n The investigation focuses on whether schools are violating state and federal laws by providing inadequate training. Under federal regulations, commercial driver\u2019s license (CDL) holders must be able to read and speak English well enough to converse with the public and understand traffic signs.<\/p>\n \u201cPutting non-English speakers behind the wheel of 18-wheelers in America can pose serious threats to public safety,\u201d Paxton said. \u201cI will fight to ensure that Texans are safe and that only qualified, English-speaking truckers are operating commercial vehicles on our roads.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Attorney General\u2019s office sent Civil Investigative Demands to five companies: EP Texas Trucking School, Trucker Certified LLC, Fast Track CDL LLC, CDLCALL.COM LLC, and Lindenwood Education System (Ancora).<\/p>\n Preliminary findings suggest some schools advertise training as short as 20 days\u2014well below the industry norm of three to seven weeks. The state also alleges some entities falsely claimed to be certified or told students English proficiency was unnecessary.<\/p>\n WFAA contacted the trucking schools under investigation but did not receive a response.<\/p>\n
The state\u2019s crackdown follows WFAA\u2019s \u201cBlind Spots\u201d investigation<\/a>, which revealed that Texas was not enforcing federal English-language proficiency rules for many drivers. WFAA found a loophole in the Texas Administrative Code that exempted drivers who stayed within state lines.<\/p>\n Following WFAA\u2019s report, Governor Greg Abbott ordered\u00a0<\/a>the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to close the loophole. Since then, DPS has taken enforcement action against more than 400 drivers for English proficiency violations.<\/p>\n Last month, \u00a0U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, cited a WFAA investigation<\/a> as part of a broader push for answers from federal regulators on trucking safety, enforcement and driver standards.<\/p>\n
\nInvestigation targets training shortcuts <\/p>\n
\nWFAA \u201cBlind Spots\u201d investigation prompts action <\/p>\n
\nFederal oversight collapse <\/p>\n