State and Federal Regulators Must Act Quickly to Remove Bad Actors in CMV Training and Licensing

Photo from The Oregonian depicting fraudulent funds paid for bogus CDL student exams

A sweeping investigation by The Oregonian, led by journalist Ted Sickinger, has uncovered an alarming commercial driver licensing fraud scheme that threatens public safety and reveals a troubling enforcement gap in CDL training oversight. At the center of the scheme is Skyline CDL School—operating in both Washington and Oregon—which is alleged to have paid cash bribes to an independent CDL examiner in Washington to fraudulently pass unqualified drivers. The resulting breach of public trust has put potentially dangerous, untrained drivers on roads across the Pacific Northwest and beyond.

According to Washington state investigators, gold envelopes stuffed with cash—each marked with a student’s date of birth—were couriered from Skyline to an independent tester named Jason Hodson. In many cases, students did not even show up to their tests, yet were reported as having passed. After reviewing testing patterns and conducting stakeouts, the Washington Department of Licensing ultimately revoked the licenses of 110 drivers, most of whom had been tested by Hodson and trained by Skyline. Shockingly, 80% of those retested failed, and at least six drivers managed to transfer their fraudulently obtained licenses to Oregon, where no retesting occurred.

This scandal lays bare critical vulnerabilities in how states oversee commercial driver training and license issuance. It also reinforces what CVTA has long advocated: the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) and states must work together to take stronger action to enforce the Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) regulations and actively remove bad actors from the Training Provider Registry (TPR). It is not enough to set the standards—federal regulators must ensure compliance by monitoring providers and acting swiftly against fraudulent or negligent operations.

Despite Skyline’s license being revoked in Washington, its Hillsboro, Oregon location continues to operate. While Oregon regulators have fined the school for failing to report its disciplinary issues, they have yet to suspend its license or revoke the credentials of drivers who transferred their CDL from Washington. This cross-border loophole is a clear call to action for both state and federal agencies to coordinate more effectively to protect public safety.

The integrity of the CDL system relies on training providers who deliver quality instruction and adhere to the law. The Skyline case is a stark reminder that when oversight fails, lives are put at risk. FMCSA and states must prioritize enforcement of ELDT standards and empower states to root out fraud wherever it occurs. As this case illustrates, ignoring these issues allows dangerous actors to exploit the system—undermining highway safety and the professional reputation of legitimate training providers nationwide.

Further, these alleged criminal activities cast doubt onto the many ethical third-party testers that operate each day on behalf of the truck driver training industry. CVTA condemns anyone that would trade the lives and safety of American motorists for money, while subverting their duty to properly train and license drivers. Meanwhile, CVTA commends Oregon for taking decisive action to root out fraud in the CMV training and licensing space.