SANFORD, Fla. – Three truck driving schools in Central Florida are part of a nationwide federal shutdown involving 110 schools cited over English language proficiency testing.
According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, the affected schools were connected to more than 5,000 drivers who did not pass the English language proficiency exams required for operating commercial motor vehicles.
Which Central Florida schools were closed?
The Central Florida schools included in the federal action are:
East USA Training Academy — 100 Weldon Blvd, Suite 114, Sanford
Florida CDL Truck Driving School — 100 S Airport Rd, Lake Wales
Road Pro CDL — 100 S Airport Rd, Lake Wales
U.S. Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy addressed the closures during a press conference, saying federal law has long required commercial drivers to speak English.
“You have to speak English to operate a commercial motor vehicle. I didn’t create that rule. President Trump didn’t create that rule. That rule has been in place for decades and we have schools that know the rule and still pass people through their school who can’t speak the language,” Duffy said. “There are 110 of them through a data analysis, that are the greatest offenders.”
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Duffy also raised concerns about how states certify the testers responsible for evaluating drivers.
“For commercial drivers, oftentimes, the states will certify testers that will do it on the state’s behalf. What we found through our data analysis is that many of the certified state testers actually aren’t adequately testing the potential drivers that they’re going to license,” Duffy said.
News 6 has reached out to the Florida Department of Transportation to find out how the state certifies English proficiency. This story will be updated when a response is received.
Issue gained national attention in 2025
English proficiency among truck drivers drew national attention in August 2025, when Harjinder Singh, an India-born truck driver, made a U-turn on the Florida Turnpike that authorities say caused a crash killing three people.
The Trump administration said Singh should not have received a commercial driver’s license because of his immigration status and his failure of an English proficiency test after the crash. New Mexico officials, however, released video from a traffic stop showing Singh conversing in English with an officer.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sent the state’s lieutenant governor to California to oversee Singh’s handover, calling him a “thug.” The case fueled a public dispute between DeSantis and California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Members of the Sikh trucking community say the case has unfairly targeted their community.
“This is a tragedy; it was an accident, and every Punjabi, every Sikh, feels for the victims’ family,” said Harsimran Singh, CEO of Gillson Trucking in Stockton, California. “But the way that this case has been handled … has many people in my community fearing for their future.”
Full list of Florida schools shut down
The following Florida truck driving schools were included in the federal shutdown:
| School | Address |
|---|---|
| Road Pro CDL | 100 S Airport Rd, Lake Wales, FL 33859 |
| A1 CDL LLC | 5430 Miley Rd, Plant City, FL 33565 |
| American Trucking | 12805 NW 42nd Ave, Opa-locka, FL 33054 |
| CDL Technical & Motorcycle | 14420 NW 107th Ave, Hialeah Gardens, FL 33018 |
| CDL Training of Tampa | 5001 W Sligh Ave, Tampa, FL 33634 |
| East USA Training Academy | 100 Weldon Blvd Suite 114, Sanford, FL 32773 |
| Florida CDL Truck Driving School | 100 S Airport Rd, Lake Wales, FL 33859 |
| FTS | 6041 Orient Road, Tampa, FL 33610 |
| Metropolitan Trucking and Technical Institute CDL School | 199 Pike Rd, West Palm Beach, FL 33411 |
| Soler & Soler CDL School Corp | 18645 SW 103rd Ct, Miami, FL 33157 |
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