FMCSA’s Expanding Enforcement Landscape: A New Era of Safety Oversight
For those of you who have seen STC-ers on the speaking circuit in the last few years, you may recall us talking about the new era of Enforcement Modernization and the digital age of safety coming to fruition. Well, we are starting to see some of these efforts coming more front and center.
Unless you live under a rock, we are witnessing a new dawn at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), which has entered a period of unusually aggressive enforcement, targeting systemic vulnerabilities in commercial driver licensing, training, and safety compliance. From cracking down on CDL mills and fraudulent training providers to tightening English language proficiency enforcement and deploying new fraud‑detection technologies, the agency is reshaping the regulatory environment for carriers, drivers, and state licensing agencies. What do we see happening, and how can fleets prepare?
CDL Mills, ELDT Enforcement, and Training Fraud
FMCSA has intensified investigations into Entry Level Driver Training (ELDT) providers and CDL mills that are issuing fraudulent or incomplete training certifications. FMCSA has already removed more than 7,000 ELDT providers from the Training Provider Registry. Enforcement is expected to continue tightening as FMCSA audits more training providers and cross‑checks TPR data against state CDL issuance records.
English Language Proficiency Enforcement
FMCSA and the states have recently shifted English Language Proficiency (ELP) from a rarely enforced rule to a frontline enforcement priority. In 2025, we saw a Presidential Executive Order directing more action on ELP and returning ELP to an Out of Service (OOS) Condition. FMCSA issued formal enforcement guidance in May 2025, directing officers to conduct a 2-step process testing a driver’s ability to read and speak English sufficiently to understand road signs and communicate with officials. Between June and December 2025, more than 12,300 drivers were placed OOS for ELP violations.
This month, Congress mandated that FMCSA update its regulations so that failure to meet ELP requirements automatically triggers an OOS order. This requirement was included in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2026.
CDL Audits on States and Non‑Domiciled CDL Enforcement
FMCSA has expanded its oversight and scrutiny of state driver licensing agencies (SDLAs), too, conducting audits and focusing on driver qualification issues, to include the issuance of non‑domiciled CDLs. As a result of its audit work relating to non-Domiciled CDLs, FMCSA has issued preliminary determinations of non-compliance to 23 states. A non-compliance determination could lead to significant federal funding losses to the states, and potentially result in their ability to issue CDLs revoked. FMCSA is also coordinating with DHS and state enforcement agencies to identify fraud rings exploiting licensing loopholes.
ELD Provider Enforcement and Compliance
FMCSA continues to remove non‑compliant Electronic Logging Device (ELD) providers from its approved list and has recently updated its vetting process, which has resulted in several dozen ELD providers being removed from the registry, as well as many denied applications. There are calls from many in the industry to move away from self-certification, and FMCSA has publicly stated that they want to update the certification process, opening the door to potentially establishing a 3rd party certification program
Operation SafeDRIVE and Roadside Enforcement Surges
Operation SafeDRIVE continues to expand nationwide. SafeDRIVE combines FMCSA, state police, and local enforcement resources to conduct high‑visibility roadside inspections and targeted enforcement blitzes focusing on unsafe behaviors like speeding and aggressive driving. In the most recent operation conducted in January, 26 states and the District of Columbia carried out targeted enforcement actions along major freight corridors and other high-risk locations that resulted in nearly 2,000 unqualified truckers and vehicles being removed from American roads.
Deployment of MOTUS for Fraud Detection
FMCSA is rolling out its MOTUS (Modernizing of Unique Tracking and Systems Platform), a modernized registration system for entities that the Agency regulates. MOTUS will assist FMCSA in fraud detection and identity verification to stop fraudulent carriers and other entities before they enter the industry, as well as to help them in overseeing the current registrants.
States Deploying Technology to Address Problem Driving Behaviors
Many states are deploying advanced technologies to identify and deter unsafe vehicles and driving behaviors. These include cameras that detect handheld phone use, thermal brake inspection systems, tire anomaly detection, and data analysis platforms, among many others. These technologies are helping states target enforcement resources more effectively and reduce crash risks associated with high‑risk drivers.
Highest Driver and Vehicle Out‑of‑Service Rates in the Last Five Years
One result of these changing enforcement strategies is that the 2025 Driver and Vehicle OOS rates were the highest they have been in the last 5 years, sitting at 7.29% for drivers and 23.63% for vehicles. The technologies being deployed by state enforcement agencies are helping facilitate these trends. The tightening of ELP enforcement is expected to push driver OOS rates even higher in 2026.
FMCSA’s and the state’s enforcement posture is shifting rapidly, with a clear focus on fraud prevention, training and licensing integrity, language proficiency, and technology‑driven oversight. With this, carriers should expect increased scrutiny on the roadside and in the home office as roadside inspections and compliance investigations become more targeted, efficient, and effective.
For fleets, the message is clear: compliance programs must evolve just as quickly as the enforcement landscape. Those who invest early in training, documentation, and technology will be best positioned to navigate this new era of regulatory enforcement intensity.