Highway safety remains a core priority for the trucking driver training industry and the American public alike, and CVTA’s Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) Task Force has been at the forefront of advancing meaningful solutions to strengthen it. Read the op-ed here: Safer highways start with enforcement of training standards In a recent Washington Examiner  op-ed, CVTA highlighted the significant federal enforcement actions underway that align with years of advocacy urging s

Major carriers report that few applicants are adequately prepared to operate safely, reinforcing CVTA’s view that training quality is essential. Pitt Ohio notes that out of 7,000 annual applicants for driving positions, only 200 are hired. This three-percent acceptance rate reflects insufficient preparation among many newly licensed drivers, not a lack of interest in trucking careers. CVTA Chairman Jeff Burkhardt has consistently stated that inconsistent enforcement and the r

From Left to Right: Andrew Poliakoff, CVTA Executive Director; Jeff Burkhardt, CVTA Chairman; Greg Hamm, Werner Enterprises Vice President of Field and Government Recruiting The multi-day summit convenes industry leaders, government officials, veteran service organizations, and employers for a program dedicated to strengthening veteran employment pathways in transportation and logistics. Participants discuss registered apprenticeship, SkillBridge, talent attraction, leadershi

Dec. 11th, 2025 Washington, D.C. The Commercial Vehicle Training Association (CVTA) today thanks U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Administrator Derek Barrs for their decisive action in launching the most extensive CDL training enforcement initiative in federal history. Over the week of Dec. 8th, USDOT deployed hundreds of FMCSA investigators to conduct more than a thousand random, boots-on-the-ground audits of t

A recent segment on CNBC underscored how federal enforcement actions are beginning to materially affect the trucking industry. According to remarks shared by Sean Duffy, the U.S. Department of Transportation has taken approximately 9,500 truck drivers off the road for failing English language proficiency requirements. While this represents roughly one percent of the U.S. driver workforce, analysts note that even modest reductions in available drivers can significantly tighten

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) announced that a nationwide audit by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) found significant compliance failures in the New York Department of Motor Vehicles’ (DMV) non-domiciled Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) program. Federal officials reported that New York routinely issued CDLs to foreign drivers in violation of federal requirements. FMCSA’s review of 200 sampled records

Lesley Vincent, Field Recruiting Manager at Melton Truck Lines Tulsa-based Melton Truck Lines was recently featured on FOX23 News – In Depth , where the discussion focused on the federal government’s increased oversight of commercial driver’s license (CDL) issuers. The segment addressed the persistent issue of “CDL mills,” which are programs that provide rushed, inadequate instruction, leaving students un

From left to right: What the Truck Host, Malcom Harris & CVTA Executive Director, Andrew Poliakoff CVTA Executive Director Andrew Poliakoff appeared on FreightWaves’ What the Truck?!  to discuss the evolving state of commercial driver training and the industry benefits of greater TPR enforcement. Poliakoff highlighted the efforts of legitimate schools to uphold CDL training standards, contrasted with the ongoing risks posed by fraudulent “CDL mills” that mislead students and

CVTA Executive Director Andrew Poliakoff was recently featured in an ABC News Orlando segment examining the U.S. Department of Transportation’s findings that nearly half of the nation’s truck driver training schools are not following federal requirements. The report raised concerns about the readiness of the estimated 3.5 million commercial drivers on America’s roads and the risks that arise when training does not meet Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) standards. This segmen