FMCSA Defends CDL School's Removal Over English Proficiency Lapses

FMCSA's Office of Safety Programs filed a response defending its decision to immediately pull Prime Truck School, LLC from the Entry-Level Driver Training Provider Registry. The agency removed the Fresno-area school on August 31, 2026, after an audit found 18 driver-trainees it had certified for ELDT completion were later cited for English Language Proficiency violations during roadside inspections.

Prime Truck School petitioned for review on September 3, arguing FMCSA never gave it notice, a chance to cure, or evidence tying its training to the later violations, and that "willful disregard" requires proof of intent. The Office Director's response rejects all of that, saying the emergency-removal provision in 49 CFR 380.723(e) skips the normal cure process when public safety or willful disregard is at issue, and that repeated certifications of drivers who failed ELP standards meet that bar without proof of intent.

FMCSA's Chief Safety Officer ordered the response after directing the Office Director to answer the petition within 10 days. The agency asked the decisionmaker to uphold the removal and deny the petition.

All sources

• Other: In the Matter of Prime Truck School, LLC - Director of the Office of Safety Programs Response to Order on Petitioner's Petition for Administrative Review of Emergency Removal from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's Entry Level Driver Training Provider Registry — Regulations.gov (FMCSA), 2026-10-09