Trump admin unveils trucking hiring campaign for veterans

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(The Center Square) – The Trump administration has unveiled “Freedom Haulers,” a new hiring campaign meant to accelerate the process for U.S. veterans seeking employment in the trucking industry.

The Freedom Haulers initiative expands the Military Skills Test Waiver Program, allowing U.S. veterans with at least two years of experience driving heavy military vehicles to skip the Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) road test – provided their experience falls within the past two years and they have a clean driving record.

Previously, veterans’ operating experience had to have been within the past year in order to qualify for the road test waiver.

The administration’s efforts to raise awareness of trucking industry opportunities for veterans comes after the Department of Transportation revoked the CDLs of more than 24,000 non-English speaking immigrants.

According to President Donald Trump, since 2025 the DOT has forced states to cancel at least 28,000 CDLs to immigrants illegally residing in the country.

“For many years, American highways and roadways have been terrorized by unqualified illegal aliens dangerously driving big rigs,” Trump said at a a news conference Thursday announcing the initiative. “Radical left maniacs at the state level have issued them commercial driver's licenses…and it has caused many, many preventable deaths.”

Nondomiciled CDL drivers caused at least 17 fatal crashes and 30 deaths in 2025, according to the Trump administration. Trump pointed to a fatal crash in Pennsylvania last week caused by an illegal immigrant driving a semi-truck.

Trump also announced that seven more states have joined the Even Exchange Program, which allows veterans with approved military occupational driving classifications to exchange their military license for a CDL after their service period ends.

The newly signed-on states are Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland and Wyoming.

Duffy praised the new initiative, lamenting that nondomiciled CDL drivers caused at least 17 fatal crashes and 30 deaths in 2025.

“Illegal immigrants who can’t speak our language have no business getting behind the wheel of a big rig. Veterans – who have already demonstrated the grit, discipline, and skills to take on this vital task – are the right people for the job,” Duffy stated. “Now through our Freedom Haulers campaign, we are cutting the red tape so these patriots can get their licenses even faster and start making real money in record time.”