New Jersey Is Right to Hit Pause on Non-Domiciled CDL and Put Safety First

By John Diab
President, Smith & Solomon Commercial Driver Training

New Jersey sits at the center of one of the most complex and heavily traveled freight corridors in the country. Every day, professionally trained commercial truck drivers move goods through our ports, distribution hubs, and highways, keeping the regional and national economy running. As the president and CEO of one of the nation’s oldest and most respected professional truck driver training schools, I know firsthand that public safety depends on the integrity of the training and licensing of those drivers.

That’s why New Jersey’s recent decision to pause the issuance of commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) for non-domiciled applicants deserves recognition. At a moment when federal and state officials across the country are confronting the growing threat of fraudulent licenses and sham training operations known as “CDL mills,” New Jersey is doing what any responsible regulators should do when concerns arise: pause the system, review for errors, and make immediate adjustments. In doing so, New Jersey is ensuring that every commercial license issued reflects real training, real documentation, and real competence behind the wheel.

Across the country, a disturbing pattern has emerged. CDL mills promising fast, guaranteed licenses, some in as quickly as one day, with little to no real instruction. These bad actors exploit regulatory gaps, falsify records, and push unprepared drivers into 80,000-pound vehicles. Oftentimes, these drivers are non-domiciled applicants who do not speak English.

Federal law has long required commercial drivers to demonstrate English language proficiency for good reason. It is fundamental to every responsibility a commercial truck driver faces: interpreting roadside signage and weather alerts; navigating New Jersey’s highway system; responding to emergencies; complying with law enforcement instructions; and coordinating with dispatchers, first responders, and inspectors.

The consequences are not theoretical. Recent fatal highway crashes and enforcement actions have shown what happens when licensing standards erode: lives are put at risk, and public trust in the trucking profession suffers.

Federal audits by the U.S. Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration have confirmed the scope of the problem, resulting in thousands of training providers removed from the federal registry for noncompliance. These actions have made one thing clear—this is not a paperwork issue. It is a national safety issue.

New Jersey’s pause on issuing CDLs to non-domiciled applicants is a proactive step to prevent abuse before it becomes a crisis. It recognizes a hard truth: when states rush licensing decisions without verifying documents and training history, bad actors exploit the system. Pausing issuance allows regulators to assess vulnerabilities, strengthen oversight, and ensure New Jersey does not become a pipeline for improperly trained drivers entering the national freight network.

New Jersey’s action does not undermine legitimate workforce development. Reputable training programs like our schools have nothing to fear from scrutiny. In fact, we welcome it.  At Smith & Solomon, compliance is not a box to check; it is the foundation of our mission. For more than three decades, we have trained drivers to rigorous federal Entry-Level Driver Training (ELDT) standards, which require demonstrated proficiency in vehicle operation, safety procedures, inspections, and emergency response. Our students spend weeks—not days—developing the skills and judgment required to operate safely in some of the most congested roadways in America.  If they are not ready, they are not permitted on the road.

No legitimate school advertises “one-day CDLs” or guaranteed pass rates. No legitimate program shortcuts behind-the-wheel training or falsifies records. Schools that do are not helping solve the driver shortage, but are creating a far greater public safety problem.

New Jersey is correctly choosing accountability over expediency—and that choice makes our roads safer for everyone. We stand alongside other reputable training providers, ready to support that effort and uphold the standards that protect motorists, supply chains, and the integrity of the trucking profession.

John Diab is President of Smith & Solomon Commercial Driver Training, one of the nation’s largest commercial driver training schools, with locations in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Chicago