President Donald Trump outlined additional details of the new “Freedom Haulers” initiative to hire more military veterans as truck drivers during a July 30 event at the White House.
Trump said any veteran who has driven a truck for the U.S. military is “automatically eligible” for a commercial driver’s license.
More specifically, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has expanded eligibility for its military skills test waiver program, giving military veterans up to two years after leaving active duty to obtain a CDL without retaking the driving skills test.
Previously, that window was only one year. Veterans without prior truck training during their military service will also be offered CDL training.
“Veterans — who have already demonstrated the grit, discipline and skills to take on this vital task — are the right people for the job,” said Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy. ”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.”
Duffy said many trucking fleets had already reached out to be part of the initiative. Nathan Meisgeier, president of Werner Enterprises, announced at the White House event that the company planned to hire 1,400 veterans in the coming year through the program.
FMCSA also announced that 34 states have now joined the Even Exchange program, which allows eligible veterans whose military training meets state requirements to obtain a CDL without taking the written knowledge or driving skills exams.
Following the White House event, the American Trucking Associations, the Owner-Operators Independent Drivers Association, and the Commercial Vehicle Training Association were among the groups to heap praise on the new initiative.
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