Trucking Schools in Texas Face State Investigation

Texas Opens Investigation Into Trucking Schools Over CDL Training Concerns

Texas officials have opened a statewide investigation into several trucking schools over allegations that some programs may have failed to meet commercial driver training standards required under state and federal law.

According to the Office of the Attorney General of Texas, investigators are reviewing whether certain CDL schools may have provided inadequate training, made misleading claims about certification, or enrolled students who may not have met federal English-language requirements for commercial drivers.

As part of the investigation, civil investigative demands were issued to five companies: EP Texas Trucking School, Trucker Certified LLC, Fast Track CDL LLC, CDLCALL.COM LLC, and Lindenwood Education System, also known as Ancora.

The investigation remains ongoing, and no final legal findings have been announced.

Questions Raised About Texas Trucking Schools

Federal regulations require CDL holders to demonstrate enough English proficiency to communicate with the public, understand highway signs written in English, respond to law enforcement or inspection officials, and complete required reports and records.

Texas officials say preliminary findings suggest that some Texas trucking schools may not have followed those standards.

According to the attorney general’s office, one school allegedly told prospective students that English proficiency was not required to complete its CDL program. Investigators also claim that some schools under review may have described themselves as certified training providers without proper certification.

Those claims have not yet been tested in court.

Fast Training Timelines Also Under Review

Another issue under investigation is how quickly some CDL programs claim students can complete training.

State officials say certain schools advertise training periods as short as about 20 days. That is shorter than many CDL training programs, which often run between three and seven weeks, depending on the school, schedule, and license type.

Investigators appear to be examining whether shorter programs may provide enough instruction time for students to operate commercial vehicles and meet licensing standards safely.

The agency hopes its review will determine whether training practices at these schools meet safety requirements or whether enforcement action may be needed.

Why This Matters for Truck Drivers

For professional drivers, training standards remain one of the most important parts of highway safety.

CDL schools serve as the entry point into trucking. They teach vehicle inspection procedures, shifting, backing, turning, hours-of-service rules, safety checks, and road operation.

If regulators find that some Texas trucking schools are not meeting required standards, the investigation may lead to tighter oversight of CDL training providers across the state.

That could affect:

• how CDL schools advertise programs
• minimum classroom and behind-the-wheel training expectations
• certification requirements for training providers
• enforcement of federal driver qualification standards

Texas is one of the nation’s largest freight markets, with major trucking activity moving through Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio, and border freight corridors.

Because of that, changes tied to CDL training standards in Texas may have wider effects across the trucking industry.

Investigation Into Texas Trucking Schools Continues

At this stage, the investigation is focused on gathering records and reviewing business practices.

State officials say the goal is to determine whether any schools violated consumer protection laws or failed to meet commercial driver training requirements.

The outcome may shape how Texas trucking schools operate in the future and could influence how regulators look at CDL training standards in other states.