The Trump administration has launched a campaign encouraging service members to become commercial truck drivers after leaving the military, as federal enforcement efforts remove tens of thousands of immigrant drivers from the road.
The Transportation Department's "Freedom Haulers" initiative will promote existing programs that allow veterans who recently operated large military vehicles to skip the commercial driver's license skills test. Other service members will be able to attend driving school during their final six months of active duty, while the GI Bill can cover the full cost of CDL training and, in some cases, provide a housing allowance.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy linked the campaign directly to the administration's enforcement push, as PBS reports:
"We are removing more and more dangerous foreign drivers off our roads every day and restoring the integrity of America's trucking industry. Our new Freedom Haulers campaign will help build on these successes and get the word out that there's never been a better time for America's former service members to get behind the wheel of a big rig"
Federal officials say about 26,000 drivers have been taken off the road for failing to demonstrate English proficiency, while another 30,000 commercial licenses were canceled after audits found they had been issued improperly.
The administration has also threatened to withhold highway funding from states that do not revoke licenses it considers invalid, although some of those efforts are being challenged in court.
Immigrants account for about 20% of U.S. truck drivers, while non-domiciled commercial licenses represent roughly 5% of all CDLs, or about 200,000 drivers. Immigrant advocacy groups have argued that some drivers are being unfairly targeted.
President Donald Trump previewed the veterans initiative during a July 15 appearance at the U.S. Army War College in Pennsylvania, saying the administration would ensure that Americans who drove heavy military vehicles could qualify more easily for commercial licenses.
At the event he cited undocumented truck drivers, "who are just killing a lot of people. They can't read signs. Many of them are on drugs or alcohol and they shouldn't be driving these things. They came in totally illegally and we don't want them, but they are driving all over American roadways."
Under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's Even Exchange Program, eligible military personnel can exchange qualifying military driving credentials for a CDL without taking the skills test, although they must still pass the written exam. The government says more than 40,000 veterans have already used the program.
The Transportation Department plans to coordinate with the Pentagon and the departments of Veterans Affairs and Labor to promote trucking as a civilian career. It estimates that truck drivers currently earn an average of about $70,000 a year.
