An article summarized by the Washington Times:
President Trump announced the Freedom Hauler initiative, a new program aimed at recruiting military veterans into the commercial trucking industry. Speaking at the White House alongside transportation and veterans officials, Trump said the initiative is designed to improve highway safety while creating good-paying jobs for veterans. Thirty-four states have joined the program, which will include advertising campaigns, a dedicated website, and partnerships with private companies to help veterans enter the trucking workforce.
As part of the initiative, the Department of Transportation is expanding expedited commercial driver's license (CDL) eligibility for veterans by extending the waiver period from 12 months to 24 months after military service. Veterans without prior experience driving heavy military vehicles will be offered CDL training, and trucking company Werner Enterprises pledged to hire 1,400 veteran drivers.
The announcement follows the administration's broader crackdown on commercial truck drivers who fail to meet licensing and English-language proficiency requirements. The administration says it has revoked more than 24,000 commercial driver's licenses for failing English proficiency standards and voided over 28,000 improperly issued CDLs for noncitizen drivers. The Department of Transportation said it will continue scrutinizing driver training, licensing, and state compliance to improve highway safety.
