Modesto trucking school shuts down suddenly. Here are the options for students
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Truck Nation School closed its Modesto campus due to unsustainable cost increases.
- Students can transfer to Fresno’s sister campus or CTDS campus in Modesto.
- Closure unrelated to recent federal visa freeze linked to fatal Florida crash.
A trucking school in Modesto has shut down due to rising costs but is arranging for students to transfer to other programs.
Truck Nation School operated on Yosemite Boulevard at San Juan Drive. A notice posted at the site said it would help students transfer to its sister campus in Fresno or to the CTDS Truck Driving School in Modesto.
The closure is not related to the recent federal freeze on student visas for trucking schools, the company said by email Tuesday. That followed a fatal Florida crash involving a driver for a Ceres-based trucking company.
Some Truck Nation School students complained on Facebook that they could not get details about the closure. One of them, Bayward Boykin, said he paid $2,500 upfront for classes that began a few weeks ago.
“Some just paid within the last week,” he said. “This isn’t right and I won’t stop fighting until the right thing is done.”
The school acknowleded this in its email. “We understand this has caused frustration and uncertainty, and we sincerely apologize for the disruption.”
Truck Nation School, founded in 2002, teaches how to manueuver tractor-trailers and similar rigs. It helps students get the licenses needed for these in-demand jobs around the country.
Truck Nation School’s other campus is on East North Avenue in Fresno. It is in the process of being sold to another owner that will accept Modesto students.
The other option offered, CTDS, in on South Ninth Street in Modesto. It recently moved from East Whitmore Avenue.
Truck Nation School did not say whether tuition would be refunded to students who do not want to transfer.
Many schools use the visa system to bring in students from India, Mexico and other nations. Secretary of State Marco Rubio suspended the program in response to the Aug. 12 collision on the Florida Turnpike. It killed three people and resulted in the arrest of Harjinder Singh, 28, who drove for White Hawk Carriers of Ceres. He is accused of making an illegal U-turn that cause the collision.
The Trump administration claimed that California improperly granted a trucking license to Singh. State officials responded that he already had a federal work permit.
This story was originally published August 27, 2025 at 12:24 PM.
