HOUSTON – Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into several trucking schools across Texas, accusing them of putting public safety at risk by providing inadequate commercial driver training, including to students who may not meet federal English proficiency requirements.
As part of the probe, the Texas Attorney General’s Office has issued Civil Investigative Demands (CIDs) to multiple companies, including CDLCALL.COM LLC, which operates in the Houston area.
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Other schools under investigation include EP Texas Trucking School, Trucker Certified LLC, Fast Track CDL LLC, and Lindenwood Education System, also known as Ancora.
Federal regulations require commercial driver’s license (CDL) holders to be able to read and speak English well enough to understand road signs, communicate with the public, respond to law enforcement, and complete required reports.
State and federal laws also require CDL training providers to ensure students are fully prepared to safely operate large commercial vehicles.
However, preliminary findings from the investigation suggest some schools may be ignoring those requirements.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, one school allegedly told prospective students that English proficiency was not necessary to complete its program and advertised its services in Spanish. Investigators also say several companies falsely claimed to be certified training providers.
Additionally, some programs are advertising accelerated training timelines as short as 20 days, significantly below the industry standard of three to seven weeks, raising concerns about whether students are receiving proper instruction.
Officials say these practices could violate the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and pose a serious danger to drivers across the state.
“Putting non-English speakers behind the wheel of 18-wheelers in America can pose serious threats to public safety,” Paxton said in a statement. “My office is thoroughly investigating these trucking schools, and I am taking this matter very seriously.”
While several of the schools are based in other parts of Texas, officials say graduates often go on to work in major freight hubs, including Houston, one of the busiest transportation corridors in the country.
That means any gaps in training could have widespread impacts on road safety statewide.