Trucking schools struggle as Trump administration strips immigrant licenses and demands English

The Trump administration has implemented new restrictions on immigrant truck drivers that require English proficiency and strip certain licenses, forcing trucking schools nationwide to cut staff and classes. The rules have caused 7,000 training providers to lose accreditation and triggered a sharp drop in student enrollments at schools like Start CDL, a Brooklyn-based operation that has struggled to stay profitable since the restrictions took effect. Trucking schools that rely on immigrant students face closure risks as their core customer base shrinks under the new requirements. The restrictions directly impact the nation's supply of commercial truck drivers at a time when the industry already faces significant workforce shortages. School operators are now projecting their businesses may become unviable as enrollment continues to decline.