Michigan regulators have suspended a commercial truck driving school in Marquette over alleged violations involving student permits, training documents and required records, according to FreightWaves, part of a nationwide federal crackdown on commercial driver's license (CDL) training schools.
The Michigan Department of State issued a summary suspension to Northern Michigan University Truck Driving School on Aug. 5 following an initial investigation by the agency's Driver Education Unit, FreightWaves reported. The action comes amid heightened state and federal scrutiny of commercial driver training programs and concerns about whether schools are properly preparing and certifying drivers before they obtain CDLs, the report said.
Alleged violations at Northern Michigan University
FreightWaves reported that regulators found the school provided behind-the-wheel instruction to students without first verifying that they possessed valid commercial learner's permits. The investigation also alleged multiple recordkeeping and administrative failures:
- The school failed to maintain records required by law.
- It failed to maintain required student financial records.
- It did not use required written agreements with students before instruction began.
- It kept records somewhere other than its established office.
- It allowed students to sign blank instructional documents that were subsequently completed.
The alleged violations fall under Michigan's Driver Education Provider and Instructor Act, which governs driver education providers and instructors in the state, according to FreightWaves.
| Alleged violation | Category |
|---|---|
| Instruction without verifying commercial learner's permits | Student certification |
| Failure to maintain records required by law | Recordkeeping |
| Failure to maintain student financial records | Recordkeeping |
| No required written student agreements | Administrative |
| Records kept outside established office | Administrative |
| Blank instructional documents signed by students | Documentation |
The Michigan Department of State said the investigation remains ongoing, according to FreightWaves. The school is prohibited from holding classroom or range instruction while the suspension remains in effect.
Federal CDL fraud crackdown
The Michigan action comes less than a month after the Trump administration announced an expanded federal crackdown on suspected fraud involving CDL training schools, FreightWaves reported. On July 16, the U.S. departments of Transportation and Homeland Security announced a joint operation targeting fraudulent and illegal practices at commercial driver training programs.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) said it had identified approximately 75 entry-level driver training schools suspected of fraudulent activity, including improper driver certifications, falsified training records and failures to properly train CDL applicants, according to FreightWaves.
FreightWaves framed the Michigan case as significant because it comes weeks after FMCSA and Homeland Security Investigations began targeting dozens of CDL schools suspected of fraud. The report noted that the federal and state actions raise concerns about whether schools are properly preparing and certifying drivers before they obtain commercial driver's licenses.
Operational implications for shippers and carriers
With the suspension in place, Northern Michigan University's truck driving program can no longer hold classroom or range instruction, according to FreightWaves. That removes one local source of entry-level driver training in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. Carriers and logistics operators that rely on newly trained CDL holders should account for reduced training capacity in the region while the suspension remains in effect.
The FMCSA finding, reported by FreightWaves, covered approximately 75 schools nationally, a scale extending well beyond the Marquette campus. The agency identified improper driver certifications, falsified training records and failures to properly train CDL applicants as the main categories of suspected fraud. FreightWaves reported that the investigation remains ongoing, and the school is barred from instruction while the suspension is in effect — a situation logistics operators should track if they depend on Upper Peninsula training programs.
Watch list
- Michigan Department of State investigation: The agency's Driver Education Unit continues its investigation; FreightWaves said the probe remains ongoing.
- Federal joint operation: FMCSA and Homeland Security Investigations are targeting approximately 75 entry-level driver training schools suspected of fraud, FreightWaves reported.
- Suspension status: Northern Michigan University Truck Driving School remains prohibited from classroom and range instruction until the suspension is lifted.
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