Investigations

On December 14, 2018, Benjamin McGrigg, a third-party CDL examiner, was sentenced in U.S. District Court, Jackson, Mississippi to 27 months’ incarceration, 3 years’ supervised release, $13,500 in restitution, and a $100 special assessment fee for his role in an illegal CDL-skills testing scheme.

 

McGrigg pleaded guilty on August 17, 2018, to the destruction, alteration, and/or falsification of records during a Federal investigation into whether he accepted cash payments from multiple CDL-skills test applicants rather than administer the federally mandated test. The investigation showed that McGrigg provided 24 CDL applicants with test score sheets falsely certifying that the drivers had successfully completed the test. The Mississippi Department of Public Safety (MS DPS) revoked the CDLs from individuals who purchased test results from McGrigg.

 

FMCSA provides funding to help its State counterparts administer CDL programs, which include developing proper testing procedures and overseeing trucking schools and CDL applicants. Operators of trucking schools and individual applicants are required to pass an extensive written test and a multipart road skills test, including an in-depth driving test, to obtain CDLs and specialized endorsements.

 

DOT-OIG conducted this investigation with MS DPS, Mississippi Bureau of Investigations, and FMCSA.