President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday announced the details of "Freedom Haulers," the administration's new program to expedite veterans getting CDLs.
Trump, flanked by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration chief Derek Barrs, and leaders from Werner, Fedex, and UPS, made clear the White House wants to replace "illegal" CDL drivers with U.S. veterans.
DOT, over the last year, has penalized several states for lapses in CDL issuance, but most often tried to keep the conversation away from politics and focused on safety. President Trump on Thursday put things more bluntly.
Trump bashed "radical leftist" states for granting CDLs to unqualified, unsafe foreign drivers who often can't read road signs in English.
"As we get illegal aliens off the roads, today we're also taking action to replace these unqualified migrant truck drivers with highly qualified American veterans," said Trump.
Trump explained how the Freedom Haulers initiative expanded on the existing Military Skills Test Waiver Program that let experienced heavy truck drivers from the military skip the CDL skills test.
"Under our brand-new Freedom Haulers initiative, any veteran who has driven a truck in the military is automatically eligible" for a CDL, he said. "Any veteran with heavy vehicle experience from the military will now be eligible to skip redundant road tests to obtain commercial driver's license."
The program allowing military heavy truck drivers to skip both components of the CDL test comes from the Even Exchange Program, in which Trump said 34 states have already enrolled.
Even for veterans who didn't drive trucks in the military, Trump said the administration is "going to make it as easy as possible" and that "they are going to be given a very quick pass."
Veterans, under the program, can now get their CDL in a "matter of a few weeks," and the FreedomHaulers.dot.gov website says they can see up to 100% of tuition costs covered.
Trump and all who spoke praised U.S. veterans as having values aligned with the trucking industry and the drive to succeed.
"Data shows that truck drivers who are veterans account for 42% fewer accidents," said Trump. (Interestingly, the California Department of Motor Vehicles recently released this analysis saying non-citizen CDL drivers have 20% fewer crashes than U.S. citizens.)
[Related: California says non-domiciled drivers are safer than U.S. citizens: Court filings]
"The radical left wants more jobs for illegal aliens and more migrants in 18-wheelers, and the Trump administration wants safer roads and more jobs for the American veteran," Trump concluded.
DOT's Duffy joined Trump in bashing former President Joe Biden's immigration policies and praising truck driving work.
"These are great paying jobs, anywhere from $80 to $100,000-plus a year," said Duffy. "It used to take almost two years to get" a CDL. "We're waiving that. You can get in that instead of having to wait the two years," veterans can now get fast-tracked and use GI bill funds to cover tuition. [SOMETHING'S OFF HERE -- I THINK MAYBE THE TWO-YEAR HE'S TALKING ABOUT HAS TO DO W/ THE GI BILL TO COVER THE TUITION, BUT STARTS LIKE HE'S SAYING IT TAKES TWO YEARS TO GET THE CDL JUST GENERALLY -- AND SECOND PART OF THE QUOTE DOESN'T MAKE SENSE, LIKE SOMETHING'S MISSING. "YOU CAN GET IN THAT INSTEAD..." EH?]
Duffy said trucking companies have been reaching out to DOT asking how they can hire more veterans, and Werner President Nathan J. Meisgeier spoke to that by announcing a new company initiative.
"At Werner, 15% of our 14,000 associates nationwide are veterans and military spouses, a statistic that we're proud of," said Meisgeier. "Today I am proud to announce a new strategic initiative for our company" by committing "to hiring 1,400 veterans in the coming year."
Meisgeier ended his remarks by thanking the veterans and the Trump administration for cutting red tape.
Near the end, a military veteran gave firsthand perspective on the good service members can do in the trucking industry.
"The transition from military life to behind the wheel of a commercial truck has brought a renewed sense of mission for me," said the veteran turned driver. "Veterans make exceptional truck drivers because we have the core values of the military aligned seamlessly with the trucking industry. We have discipline, vigilance and unwaiverable commitment to getting the job done safely and on time."
[Related: DOT's 'Freedom Haulers' program fast-tracking CDLs for veterans]
