CLEVELAND — The U.S. Department of Transportation is cracking down on commercial driver training centers.
Last month, about 3,000 schools were removed from the federal training provider registry. Secretary Sean Duffy said this is a way to rein in any illegal practices that could lead to ill-equipped drivers getting behind the wheel of commercial trucks and school buses.
About 16,000 training centers are listed on the training provider registry. The list includes centers that are authorized to provide all federally required driver training for CDL students.
The transportation department is removing any centers from that list for the following:
- falsifying or manipulating training data
- failure to meet required curriculum standards, facility conditions or instructor qualifications
- failing to maintain accurate and complete documentation during federal audits or investigations
Some say this crackdown on schools helps maintain the integrity of the CDL business.
"It's an 8,500 pound vehicle driving down the road with $100,000 to $200,000 or $1 million worth of merchandise " Anne Bauza, president of Driver Resource Center Schools, said. "So, short cuts are not an option."
News 5 looked to see if any Northeast Ohio centers were flagged. Of the 15 schools listed in the area, the following were flagged:
- Train 4 Less in Mayfield Heights
- Manchester Local Schools in Akron
- Ports Petroleum in Wooster
- Train 4 Less in Norwalk
Not all of those training centers are off the national registry yet. The flagged centers have received notice from the transportation department and have 30 days to respond with evidence of compliance.
To access the Training Provider Registry, CLICK HERE.
