A CDL school in Florida has had its operating agreement revoked by the state after an investigation found “rampant manipulation of information and data,” which may have allowed students to earn their CDLs despite skipping portions or even all of the skills and written tests.
Key Power Driving School has been testing students since 2007, and had two different locations by the time the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) launched an investigation into the company.
DHSMV first noticed an issue when they saw how dramatically the test scores changed when they had a representative present for testing. According to a DHSMV press release, without a rep present, Key Power students were passing at a rate of 60%. When there was state oversight however, that number dropped to 11%.
“The correlation between DHSMV presence at testing sites and extreme pass-rate fluctuation indicates rampant manipulation of information and data,” reads the release. “The department is committed to ensuring that Florida’s commercial drivers are properly trained and tested and will not tolerate any disregard for public safety.”
Over the course of the investigation, DHSMV found that Key Power “conducted fraudulent testing activities such as omitting vital portions of the required three-part skills test and manipulating testing data on CDL skills test score sheets.”
Florida will be notifying some 1,500 truckers who were tested on or after January 1st 2017 that they will have to retake their CDL test within two months or lose their CDLs.
Source: flhsmv, thedrive, theclewistonnews, nbc2
Roadmaster is kind of the same lol
The same thing happened to me with Swift’s school in 2006, Memphis, Tennessee
Me too and my CDL was suspended for eight months before I knew Tennessee recall
Swift has a great program in Dallas that prepares you for the written portion in Utah. Everything was professional and done with integrity.
I wonder what the motivation was?
Money sex food?
They should dig a little deeper
It’s always about money. If they’re paid by the carriers that take on the graduates, it benefits them to pass as many as possible.
Yep Hurd em in ship em out. Then they want to know why there are so many uneducated truck drivers. And then to top it off the Russian trucking companies are hiring these students right out of school and putting them in trucks as drivers. No training just school and right into a truck. I’ve seen it with 2 companies I worked at
Is anyone really surprised by this given the number of accidents that has increased on the roads? In Detroit here, Im pretty sure that people can purchase a CDL without tests because its evident by the way Ive seen them park their trailers and drive their trucks, like they were a 4 wheeler.
In Ontario,the government has been totally rapped up in support of this kind of fraud for years.They’ve been handing out CDL’s like people hand out tootsie rolls to kids at halloween. Many of the drivers who possess CDL’s can’t read or write any of the official languages of Canada or the US.
A very true comment..
No jail time for the school? It will never stop.
For real it needs to go to jail.I went thru hell getting my cdl.
You can’t put a school in jail. You have to isolate an individual human being. And we all know that the individual human being that is responsible for everything, in every instance, regardless of the circumstances, is the truck driver…
This is not true. If the school manipulated the testing to get their students to pass it is the schools fault. How can you fault the truck drivet student taking the test for the school NOT doing what they are required?
Evidently you must be another one of the people out there who has not actually operated a truck and believes “it’s the truck drivers fault” every time something happens.
Easy Larry…I believe he was being sarcastic. Anyone who drives knows it’s always the Drivers fault! Even if you’re parked and in the sleeper and get hit…it’s your fault!
And as far as retesting am I the only one that thinks the school should compensate the driver for having to retest?!
The real issue is no one will stick together and strike this is the most opertune time in history to do it with xmas around the corner and days away from the electronic loging and RECORD LOW DRIVER PAY AND FRIEGHT RATES shut em all down pay us as profesionals electronic loging would be great maybe alot of the real drivers would want to start trucking again but its every man for himself THINK ABOUT IT
I agree. A strike SHOULD happen. I get drivers telling me “I can’t afford to take off two weeks for a strike. Well, then you are definitely one who needs to as you are not making enough money to take vacation? Another answer I get is, “my company will fire me”. So what!!! If every company fired their drivers, they still wouldn’t have anyone to drive their trucks. Plus it would be worse on them for firing their drivers because then they would have to wait out the strike, the be out cash flow once the strike is over trying to get people rehired!!
It wouldn’t even take a week for change to happen. Can you imagine gas stations not getting gas for three days? Food stores not getting food for three days? Manufacturers not getting supplies? And the list goes on. After three days change will start happening. After the end of the week we could be back to work with the promise of other change. Then if it does not happen, guess what, another three days of strike to remind them.
Those guys are not living on a budget and are making crap pay! Living pay check to pay check makes you live in fear
I Agree. Plan and simple. Trucks make EVERYTHING MOVE. Maybe 4 wheelers would have more respect for us also.
Strikes will not do any good all that does is punish people who has nothing to do with it such as the consumers what people need to do is to follow the rules exactly and then when the freight slows down to a crawl people will start to take notice strikes have never been the answer I have been in the trucking business for over 30 years seen a lot of changes good and bad follow the rules to the letter that will get more done than striking
Judging from the idiocy i see now on the roads and parking lots from new drivers, they best check every school..not to mention schools teaching to “stay in the middle lane” even though they are the slowest vehicles on the road, and every state has slower traffic keep right laws and even signs for dummies reminding them..school=pay fee=get cdl…..period.
sadly not just new drivers anywhere you see trucks parked you see filth and trash,, was involved with trucks since 1965 and about 1980 maybe 75 when they had to start putting people in trucks that can,t get a job anywhere else,, there are still a few decent people driving but they are certainly a very few
So true…These new drivers are incompetent pigs with no sense of etiquette and NO skills, pushing us old schoolers right to the edge. Surprised we don’t see more shootings like the recent one in KY. These schools should be held to much higher accountability and “trainers” need to be taken to task. Shocking that companies will consider “drivers” with 3 mos. experience can become trainers… Whole industry has gone to hell
I agree and one of ‘the few’ you speak of from 1984 when driving a rig was something enjoyable to make a good living from. We’ve gone from cowboy hats and ball caps to sombrero’s and towels and the lack of professional driving coincides with that. More idiots than pros left out here anymore.
What else is new ? I agree. Jail time.
I would be more concerned with the link between schools and company recruiters who pressure schools to turnout half trained drivers. Blaming students who are trying to find a career is short sighted. If the recruiters minister on better and longer training, including an apprentice program. The schools would turn out better trained drivers. No one wants to struggle with a rig.
Well we will probably see fewer swift trucks on the road for awhile then since there making the people retake there cdl test lol. I think they should across the bird do a test to make sure all cdl holders can read and write English also. Don’t know how many times I have been at shipper and receivers and a driver does not understand the person behind the counter talking to them because no obla English.
Olba? The bird!
“Habla”. And in all fairness, Spanish probably isn’t the first language of the majority of offenders, on this point. We’re shipping them in from Africa, eastern Europe, the Middle East, Pakistan and India, as fast or faster…
I personal did a job by contract for them,they used just graduate candidates for instructors without been on the road.That’s why I quit been and instructor ,the schools ore on the business just for the MONEY.
sex mumths ago i could not spell trork druver now , i are one !!
Haha
For me it was one side of the truck and in cab inspection, skills test, and road test. Had to retake the skills test twice. You are only as good as how detailed you want to be and yes especially in a truck it is important to check and top off your fluids etc. etc. Pre-Trips/Brake Checks yes it all matters.
I’ve seen truckers actually fail to keep right and actually cut of regular cars in the fast lane going through western Arizona. Cars are doing 75 mph/80 mph and here is a slow ass truck needing to pass up another slow ass truck in the fast lane. Very unsafe so yes I question the training and if these truckers nowadays are checking their mirrors.
The other side of this is the companies that have governed their trucks where you don’t have climbing power probably making it unsafe for all on the road.
Where to begin????
Not to surprised. Had a new driver who was solo, asked me to back his trailer into a spot.
Nope. You fail.
Considering that most of our young people today lack enough common sense to know how to tie a shoe lace and have never had to take responsibility for anything they did, the driving schools are only 50 % to blame. They have little to work with in the first place. Granted some youngsters are not falling to that category but darned few. I visited a driving school to observe and found that of the 13 in the class only 4 knew how to read an atlas. I guess comprehension in school was lost on them. This is the new driver today. In ANY vehicle not just trucks.
I miss the good ol days.We had pride, respect, camaraderie,work ethic..
Just like the harrasement in hollywood why are we talking about this, isnt this the way it is.
All of these so called instructors need to be tested as well. Passing drivers that can’t even read or write English, not teaching them the basic rules of the road ( re: keeping right except to pass,etc) .. There’s people out there with cdl’s that shouldn’t even have a license to drive a moped !!
When Ontario, Canada moved from government to private testing centers, a large one in Brampton, Ontario was caught selling AZ licenses. $500.00 would get you on the road! They were caught, some fined and jailed and the center was demolished. It’s now a large warehouse. All the drivers were retested. NONE passed!
This exact thing happened to me at a Florida driving school in Melbourne about 12 years ago, I got a letter in the mail that my license would be suspended if I didn’t get retested within 60 days, I wonder if these are the same people
Crap, even with cheating they only had a 60% pass rate?
are they just taking people off the street and hoping for the best?
My class had one guy that needed a bit of aditional training beyond the basic instruction everyone got. Everyone passed.
Why are the schools issuing CDLs? Doesn’t the State of Florida give CDL test? In Arkansas the state patrol give the test for CDL.
And people wonder why there is are large push towards autonomous trucks…:(
Just retired after 50 years in the business! All as an owner operator. The problems have never changed & the words are still the same. Every time you put a cheap load on, YOU are part of the problem! Leave the cheap freight on the dock, then the rates mysteriously begin to rise. Don’t get into debt, or the companies control your destiny! Maintenance your equipment, or you never get ahead of the game! Demand your money, or you’ll bust their heads! Provide 1st class service for your pay & you will never be idle…Drive clean, legal, safe & smart or you’ll be broke like all the rest of the dummies who live like pigs & drive junk…
I went to school at C.R. England.
There were some written “tests” where we were simply told what answers to write in: “number one is c; number two is e” etc.
C.R. England had their own DMV certified examiners who passed everybody; even those who could not back in a straight line and ran over all the cones were passed. I kept hearing, “don’t worry about it, you’ll get it with your trainer.
I had a total of 60 minutes experience behind the wheel – including yard skills – before going out with my trainer who stayed up with me two hours before saying, “you got it, I’m going to bed”.
I could go on but you get the picture. Learning to drive a truck was a terrifying and highly stressful experience for me.
The industry has no one to blame except itself.
Common sense has nothing to do with age look at our government
I’ve decided to add my two cents worth to this. Years ago I was asked to take a couple of new hires around the block to check their driving proficiency. When we got back to the yard neither of them could back a trailer into a parking spot. I asked if they were taught this in school and they said they were told they would be taught that by the trucking company that hires them. And now you know the rest of the story!!
Aren’t drivers and companies demanding this on an almost daily basis? Read through the forums here and see how much regard drivers and wannabes have for the regulations and factual information about the industry. Drivers demand to be nothing more that recreational fourwheelers with no rules.. who’s kidding who???
Has know one heard of Capitalism. Also when know one is looking you do what you want.I wish I could offer more. Thanks for reading this.
I have tried to get my cdl a at premier trucking driving school for crengland it was a terrible experience .Seems to be the way for the trucking schools and trucking companies to make money from the individuals trying to learn.
One reason truckers arnt making any money , is it’s going to bloated office staff. To many regulations , that have to be adrest by hiring paper pushers. This money comes out of the truckers pay.
Basically, most schools today just teach the basics on how to pass the exams to get your license.
I went thru this, the real backing at an angle how truck stops are designed are not taught.
I spent a several grand and now that am out here on the road its like this is a scam.
Being on the road, seems to open my eyes on who gets into accidents.
I’ve seen rookies like myself and 10+ years of experienced drivers get into accidents.
I take pride in what I am doing, cause in the end speeding has killed people and distractions.
Mostly, I do not want to end up in jail.
I as a rookie, would have voted to have more training to backing and the laws for the state you travel on.
Proper training pays off.
To really piss people off: “I hate the GPS ” gives the wrong directions 70% of the time.
The GPS should be banned.
And if you sign up as a trainer, you better teach.
If student slacks off, give the 3 warnings and then KICK HIM OFF THE TRUCK.
Take pride in this business cause you will end up on the wrong end.
Drive safe to not kill anybody.
Drive safe and stay alert.
Drive safe and be respectful to one another everywhere you go.
Drive safe but earn money.
Drive safe and Respect the speed limit.
You get what you pay for.
You hit the nail on the head. It’s all about money. I work at a school. Most private schools are only 3 to 4 weeks long and costly to operate. Like the industry itself, schools are under heavy govt regulation. In 2020 all cdl applicants for class A or B must attend training. This is called (ELDT) Entry Level Driver Training.
Schools can’t produce seasoned drivers. They offer CDL Preparation Courses. It’s only enough time to learn the basics and pass your test. Then graduates go into Driver Finishing Programs with carriers. This is largely where we’re dropping the ball. The carrier training programs got a pass from Congress on ELDT. Largely because of money and the misconception that schools turn out seasoned drivers. Congress and FMCSA are REALLY concerned about public safety…..
The training carriers pretty much set the training rates based on how much they’re willing to pay for training. If the system would pay for 8 plus weeks of training, students would receive that.
For many years this is how it’s been. You go to CDL school to get a license, then go to the carrier and learn the job.
Many carrier driver finishing programs are crap. I know, I did that job too. My very first student assignment, they gave me a hot load to Denver. No way possible to deliver the load and follow the training rules. And on and on it went, they basically want you to team drive as quickly as possible. I’ve seen graduates of my school become trainers at carriers in 90 days. They didn’t have one winter under their belt.
Think about it and be honest. (Addressing the forum here) How long did it take you to become a trained/season driver. If you say three weeks, I’ll call you a liar. Today’s truck driver applicant is not generally the same type of person I saw 20 years ago. These folks need more training. Also consider this. The Federal Skills Test for backing allows you to crash the truck four times and pass.
Yes a lot needs to change, now who’s gonna pay for it.
To my knowledge there’s only 1 CDL driving school in America that is ACCREDITED; HAVING 2 locations..One in Florida at GreenCove Springs, West of St.Augustine, and, 1 in California.. d.b.a. National Transportation Inc, or, N.T.I.
OF which I graduated on 6.28.13
They require a 28 chapter online course that must be passed w/80% grades ,PRIOR to your acceptance to their 250 acre test site. And, you must pass their D.O.T. trainers evaluation prior to driving on a Public roadway..!
The way it should be!
Typo…NATIONAL TRAINING INSTITUTE..not national trans Inc. Oops!
So that explains all the super duper want to be truckers
What most are ignoring are the facts: cdl schools teach one how to obtain the cdl, not drive. Oh, they teach the basics but the learning really comes on the road. While one may his a blindside or parallel park or left-side back a few times in school it doesn’t really sunk in until done repeatedly. Schools need minimum road time, period.