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PREVIOUS COVERAGE: DMV extends cancellation date of immigrant truckers' licenses
A week after immigrant groups filed a lawsuit, California said Tuesday it will delay the revocations of 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses until March to allow more time to ensure that truckers and bus drivers who legally qualify for the licenses can keep them.
LOS ANGELES - California’s highways face a significant safety risk as a legal loophole allows hundreds of "fly-by-night" trucking schools to bypass state oversight.
What we know:
Under current California law, private trucking schools charging $2,500 or less are exempt from state licensing. A CalMatters analysis found at least 184 schools operating within this gap.
Even when the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education (BPPE) attempts to intervene, schools can simply lower their tuition to claim an exemption and slip out of the state’s reach.
SUGGESTED: California delays revoking 17,000 commercial driver’s licenses after immigrant truckers sue
Federal records are equally unreliable, as the national registry relies on self-reported data.
Schools like the now-closed Dolphin Trucking School have been accused of using unqualified teachers and providing hazardous learning conditions, only to rebrand and continue operating at the same location once their licenses were stripped.
What we don't know:
The exact number of students graduating from these unlicensed programs is unknown because "exact numbers could not be known," according to BPPE spokesperson Monica Vargas.
SUGGESTED: California revokes immigrant truck driver’s licenses
Additionally, officials admit there is no direct data to correlate specific highway fatalities with the lack of school licensing, despite industry experts' warnings.
What they're saying:
"The state of California has approved and walked my site," said Steve Gold, CEO of 160 Driving Academy, contrasting his certified school with unlicensed programs. "Unsuspecting everyday drivers have no idea the 80,000-pound truck on the highway is operated by an individual who’s not properly trained."
SUGGESTED: California may lose federal funding for not enforcing trucker English rules
Meawhile, Joe German, owner of the unlicensed Premier Trucking School, argued that the full licensing process is too expensive for small operations, stating it "would bankrupt us."
What's next:
The California Legislature is currently reconsidering a bill by Assemblymember Mike Fong to close the tuition loophole.
While a similar attempt failed last year due to budget concerns, proponents argue the $800,000 annual cost to regulate the industry is a small price for highway safety.
The Source: This report is based on a comprehensive investigative analysis by CalMatters, which cross-referenced state records from the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education with federal transportation databases. The Associated Press contributed.