The Trump administration is launching a nationwide campaign to help military veterans become commercial truck drivers as tens of thousands of immigrant drivers are being removed from American highways for licensing violations or failure to meet English-language requirements.
The new initiative, called “Freedom Haulers,” will encourage service members who operated large military vehicles to carry those skills into the civilian trucking industry.
Under an existing federal program, recently discharged veterans who drove military vehicles weighing more than 2½ tons may be permitted to skip the road-skills portion of the commercial driver’s license test. They must still study commercial trucking regulations and pass the CDL written examination.
More than 40,000 veterans have reportedly used the waiver program already, sometimes allowing them to begin a civilian trucking career within several weeks.
Other service members may attend commercial driving school during their final six months of active duty. Veterans who served for at least three years can also use GI Bill benefits to cover the full cost of CDL training and may qualify for a housing allowance while attending school.
The Transportation Department estimates that commercial truck drivers currently earn an average of approximately $70,000 annually, although salaries vary according to experience, employer, freight type and time spent away from home.
The campaign follows a federal crackdown on commercial drivers whose licenses were improperly issued or who cannot demonstrate sufficient English proficiency to understand road signs, communicate with police and emergency personnel or complete required records.
Federal transportation officials say approximately 26,000 drivers have been removed from service for failing English-language requirements, while another 30,000 commercial licenses were canceled after audits determined they had been issued illegally.
Audits conducted across all 50 states reportedly uncovered non-domiciled commercial licenses that remained active after drivers’ work permits expired. Investigators also found licenses issued without adequate verification of immigration status.
The enforcement campaign gained momentum after a fatal crash in Florida involving an immigrant truck driver who allegedly made an illegal U-turn, killing three people. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the driver should never have received a commercial license.
“We are removing more and more dangerous foreign drivers off our roads every day and restoring the integrity of America’s trucking industry,” Duffy said while announcing the new program.
The federal government has threatened to withhold highway funding from California and New York over allegations that the states failed to cancel thousands of invalid licenses. Pennsylvania, Minnesota and North Carolina have also been warned that federal transportation money could be at risk.
Several of those disputes have moved into court.
Immigrant advocacy organizations argue that qualified foreign-born drivers are being unfairly swept into the crackdown. Immigrants make up approximately 20% of America’s truck-driving workforce, although non-domiciled commercial licenses represent only about 5% of all CDLs.
The administration says the campaign is intended to enforce existing safety requirements while creating a direct path into civilian employment for veterans.
The trucking industry has largely welcomed the proposal.
Werner Enterprises CEO Derek Leathers said veterans already account for approximately 15% of his company’s workforce and frequently possess the discipline, technical experience and decision-making skills required for long-distance trucking.
For veterans accustomed to handling military transports, supply convoys and massive tactical vehicles, moving freight down an interstate may offer a familiar kind of responsibility—only with fewer roadside bombs, better radio stations and considerably more opportunities to purchase beef jerky.
The departments of Transportation, Defense, Veterans Affairs and Labor are expected to cooperate on the campaign as part of a broader effort to connect departing service members with well-paying civilian careers.
The basic message is straightforward: If someone can safely move a military vehicle through a combat zone, the administration believes that person may be a pretty good candidate to move a refrigerated trailer through Toledo.
Source: Associated Press report on the Freedom Haulers campaign.
