New Mexico CDL providers stand firm in compliance amid federal Transportation Department crackdown

New Mexico commercial driver’s license schools and providers believe they are in full compliance with federal regulations regarding the certifications, despite a recent review from the U.S. Department of Transportation.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced Monday the removal of 3,000 CDL training providers from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Training Provider Registry for failing to properly equip trainees.

Providers across the country were removed from the list for allegedly falsifying training data, not meeting curriculum standards and failing to maintain accurate documentation, according to the announcement.

Another 4,500 providers on the registry, which lists groups authorized to offer federally required entry-level training for CDL students, have been placed on notice due to potential noncompliance.

At least one local company, Albuquerque-based Kelly Cable of New Mexico, which serves the telecommunications and utility industry, was on a list provided by the administration. Kelly Cable didn’t respond to a request for comment. It’s unclear if the company provides CDL certifications, but it does appear to hire drivers to move products, according to online job postings.

Crackdowns on CDL provider compliance came shortly after Duffy launched an investigation into a fatal Florida crash in August. The driver, Harjinder Singh, was previously pulled over for a traffic stop in July by New Mexico State Police.

Duffy alleged that if law enforcement had conducted an English language proficiency test during the initial stop, Singh would not have been on the road. The investigation included a look into how New Mexico State Police implements linguistic tests, which have long been required by law for CDL holders.

“This administration is cracking down on every link in the illegal trucking chain,” Duffy said in a statement. “Under President Trump, we are reining in illegal and reckless practices that let poorly trained drivers get behind the wheel of semi-trucks and school buses.”

Brad Moore, Central New Mexico Community College spokesperson, wrote to the Journal that the school’s CDL program had not received any notifications indicating that it was out of compliance.

The community college launched its ABQ CDL Training program in 2018. The curriculum consists of six weeks of classroom instruction and behind-the-wheel coaching from experienced instructors.

CNM’s CDL program enrolls as many as 300 students annually, Moore said. Attendees must pass all required assessments to complete the training program and qualify to take the exam. Course instructors are responsible for tracking training hours and documenting progress throughout the program, and examiners are to follow the FMCSA’s strict scoring guidelines.

While the school does not track the international status of participants, Moore said drivers must qualify for a Real ID when applying for a commercial learner’s permit with the state Motor Vehicle Division, which requires a majority of applicants to be New Mexico residents. However, international drivers are eligible for the program so long as they have legal status in the U.S.

Similarly, Tracy Morales, administrator for the Luna Community College CDL program, said she had not heard about the Monday announcement, nor had the school received any notice from federal departments.

“New Mexico, as far as the circle we all work with, they’re all doing fine,” Morales said. “We’re following what we’re supposed to be following and putting out a good driver in the process.”

The program’s requirements, trainings and protocols are all mandated by federal guidelines, Morales said, whereas the state MVD’s involvement is limited to issuing permits and licenses and setting up third-party test examiners.

Safety is at the forefront of the CDL program, Morales said. With nearly 80 years of driving experience between herself and the others responsible for the program, she said Luna Community College wants to help the community by creating strong drivers.

“These people that we put out there are people that we’re going to be driving around also. Us, our families, the public,” Morales said. “We all have that same thought that, ‘Hey, we’re not going to put out a substandard driver that is possibly going to get into a situation like that.’ We have been very prideful in that we are putting out a really good driver.”

Johnny Johnson, executive director of the New Mexico Trucking Association, said he knew exactly what Duffy was talking about.

Being in the trucking industry since 1966, Johnson said one of the main issues with CDL certifications comes from “cut-rate, fly-by-night” programs claiming to teach and certify drivers in a few short weeks.

“They want to scrutinize the truck driving schools that are issuing CDLs to unqualified drivers. That’s been a problem in the past, but it’s not anything like it is today,” Johnson said. “Today, it has almost become an epidemic.”