CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Hundreds of truck drivers must retake their driving tests or lose their commercial driver's license (CDL), and maybe their jobs, through no fault of their own.
They went to Carolina Truck Driving School in Charlotte.
"Some people quit their job to go to that school. I know I did," truck driver Ron Nealy said.
The school taught them to drive trucks. The school was also authorized to give them the state driving test. It had three employees who were official testers. Students would pass the test, get their CDL, and then get jobs driving trucks.
But then, the bombshell dropped when the NC Division of Motor Vehicles sent 280 drivers a letter, saying they must retake the test to keep their CDL.
"When I opened the letter, I'm like, 'Are you kidding me?'" Chris Carney told Action 9's Jason Stoogenke.
Nealy said it's stressful, "especially when you got a family."
The DMV also told the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles, so drivers in the state will also receive letters.
One driver showed Action 9 his letter and it states that he has until Tuesday to retake his test.
Stoogenke asked DMV officials for details and they said the school's testers didn't follow federal and state guidelines. More specifically, they said that the school was missing 450 records.
Carney and Nealy have until the middle of June to retake the test.
"Why should the burden fall on us? We took the test. We passed the test," Carney said. "Somebody else should be held responsible other than us."
Stoogenke spoke with the school's owner, who said one of his three testers stole the missing files, but he’s unsure which one.
The owner closed the Charlotte location in November because he said it wasn't making a profit. He still runs a truck driving school in Tennessee.
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He told Action 9 he wants to help the drivers, so he'll have an instructor, truck and trailer at the DMV in Statesville and the one in Rock Hill in the middle of June.
Drivers can retake the test there and, then, go inside DMV and get their CDL.
Anyone that needs to retest should contact Josh Douglas with Carolina Truck Driving School at 704-603-3000.
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