Texas Probes Trucking Schools Over CDL Training, ELP

The Texas state capitol in Austin. Attorney General Ken Paxton cited a lack of English proficiency as an area of concern. (EJ_Rodriguez/Getty Images)

Texas is investigating trucking schools for “endangering” state residents by illegally training commercial vehicle drivers and telling prospective students English proficiency is unnecessary to pass.

Attorney General Ken Paxton recently announced his office has opened an investigation into “numerous trucking schools” that allegedly provided insufficient commercial driver license training in violation of state and federal laws.

He specifically cited inadequate training for non-English speakers as an area of concern.

“Putting non-English speakers behind the wheel of 18-wheelers in America can pose serious threats to public safety,” Paxton said. “My office is thoroughly investigating these trucking schools, and I am taking this matter very seriously. I will fight to ensure that Texans are safe and that only qualified, English-speaking truckers are operating commercial vehicles on our roads.”

His office emphasized that federal regulations require CDL holders to read and speak English sufficiently to converse with the public, understand English highway traffic signs and signals, answer official inquiries and make entries on reports and records.

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Paxton 

Texas and federal regulations also require CDL training providers to ensure students are adequately prepared to safely operate commercial motor vehicles in compliance with safety standards.

Preliminary findings suggest that certain schools are disregarding these requirements.

“The Office of the Attorney General will take all necessary action to ensure CDL students are protected from fraudulent trucking schools and that Texans are protected from the dangers posed by unqualified drivers,” the announcement stated.

“These schools also likely send graduates to trucking companies across the state, including major freight hubs such as Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston,” the attorney general’s office said.

For example, EP Trucking allegedly told “prospective students that English proficiency is not necessary to complete the program and advertises its services in Spanish.”

Several trucking schools under investigation are accused of falsely claiming to be certified.

“Additionally, some programs advertise accelerated training timelines that are as short as approximately 20 days, which is well below the industry norm of three to seven weeks. Actions such as these indicate insufficient instruction and evaluation,” Paxton’s announcement said.

These actions violate the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act and pose a significant public safety risk, according to the attorney general.

Attorney General Ken Paxton Launches Statewide Investigation into Texas Trucking Schools for Certifying Unqualified and Non-English Speaking CDL Drivers: https://t.co/qsZr5nZK5j — Texas Attorney General (@TXAG) April 28, 2026

A search of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration training provider registry showed:

• EP Texas Trucking School in El Paso offers behind-the-wheel (BTW) public road and range training.
• Fast Track CDL’s training in Garland includes Class A and B: Theory, BTW public road and range. It also trains in hazardous materials theory.

The FMCSA registry had a listing under a slightly different name of Trucker Certified CDL in Dumas, Texas, offering Class A and B training with a website link to a Pampa school.

The federal registry listed Lindenwood Education System with Ancora at Texarkana College. Training offered there was listed as Class A: Theory, BTW public road and range.

An FMCSA search for a training provider called CDLCall.com showed no listing under that name.