ATA, CVTA & NAPFTDS Reignite Calls for Stronger Enforcement of Entry-Level Driver Training Standards

The Commercial Vehicle Training Association (CVTA) thanks the American Trucking Associations (ATA) for their recent statement calling for a surge in enforcement to protect the integrity of Entry-Level Driver Training and commercial driver licensing. The statement echoes the sentiments of a letter sent to USDOT Secretary Sean P. Duffy by CVTA & NAPFTDS on August 28th, furthering a cause that all three associations have been doggedly pursuing.

The August 12th crash in Florida that killed three people did more than shock the nation; it exposed critical breakdowns in testing, licensing, and training enforcement. ATA’s message is clear, safety regulations only work when they are consistently enforced.

Just as ATA highlighted the dangers of “CDL mills,” CVTA has been pressing USDOT and FMCSA to investigate and remove fraudulent or non-compliant training providers from the Training Provider Registry (TPR). These entities exploit students, shortcut the federally required Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) curriculum, and endanger the public by placing inadequately trained drivers behind the wheel. Without consistent oversight, the promise of ELDT—to create a national baseline of safety through verified classroom instruction and behind-the-wheel proficiency— will remain unrealized.

As the three associations have noted, the nation needs schools and carriers to operate with integrity, invest in compliance, and train their drivers to be safe and professional.

CVTA welcomes ATA in standing firm against bad actors as we continue to work towards a common goal in fixing these issues. Together, our organizations represent the complementary pillars of the industry, recognizing that safety begins with quality instruction and is sustained by professional practice on the road. By standing together, we are sending a unified message: fraudulent providers and negligent licensing practices will not be tolerated. We urge the USDOT, FMCSA, and Congress to expedite enforcement actions, empower states to suspend non-compliant providers, and ensure the uniform application of federal standards nationwide.

Only through decisive, coordinated enforcement will we restore public confidence, protect compliant schools and carriers, and safeguard the motoring public.

Read the CVTA and NAPFTDS Joint Letter to Secretary Duffy here.

Read the ATA Press Statement here. Secretary Duffy issued an order outlining new guidance to enforce the English proficiency requirement for truck drivers in May.