The FMCSA just kicked 3,000 truck driver trainers off the Training Provider Registry and put another 4,000 on notice for potential compliance issues. Those 3,000 trainers were removed for failing to meet basic service standards — which says a lot about the system when you look at what the FMCSA actually requires.
Here’s all it takes to be a “qualified” trainer under FMCSA rules:
- A valid CDL
- Two years of relevant driving experience
- A clean driving record
Some states and companies tack on a background check or a trainer course, but nothing that raises the bar in a meaningful way.
Let’s call it what it is: two years of driving experience is a joke. Two years? Really? That alone would qualify most drivers on the road to be trainers, as long as they pass the other easy requirements. The FMCSA standard isn’t a high bar — it’s barely a speed bump.
My stance has always been clear: anyone with less than five years of real road experience has no business training new drivers. Two years isn’t enough time to understand this job, let alone teach someone else how to survive it. The industry would benefit from trainers with a decade of experience — and absolutely no less than five years.
I get why companies do it. They need someone certified to validate that a new driver can safely operate and pass DOT-required skills tests. But pairing a brand-new driver with someone who’s only been on the road for two years? That’s setting the rookie up for failure. It’s no surprise accident numbers have climbed over the years.
This administration is finally trying to clamp down on illegal and sloppy practices that let poorly trained drivers — and worse, poorly trained trainers — get behind the wheel of semis and even school buses. Raising the standards for driver trainers is long overdue. Once you stop inexperienced drivers from becoming trainers, new drivers will actually have a chance to learn the right way.
Back in 2022, FMCSA set new rules stating that any driver training program — whether it’s run by a trucking fleet or a school — must be listed on the Training Provider Registry (TPR). If a new driver attends a program that isn’t on the TPR, their state licensing agency will reject their CDL application. No exceptions.
During a recent review of 16,000 training providers listed on the TPR, FMCSA began removing programs for noncompliance, including:
- Falsifying or manipulating training data
- Failing to meet curriculum standards, facility requirements, or instructor qualifications
- Not maintaining accurate records or refusing to provide documentation during audits and investigations
Any provider that receives a notice of proposed removal has 30 days to prove they are compliant. While under review, the provider gets placed on the TPR Proposed Removal List, and they must notify all current and upcoming students about their status.
If you’re looking to get your CDL, check the TPR first. Avoid any program listed on the Proposed Removal List. And if you can, find a program that uses trainers with real experience — not just the minimum two years the FMCSA allows.
There’s a lot more to unpack on this topic, and I’ll be covering more in an upcoming Jake’s & Brakes video.
For more real talk about trucking, check out the Road Logic channel — where we cover this topic and more. Real Talk. Real Experiences. No Nonsense.
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