President Donald Trump announced a proposal on Wednesday to replace immigrant truck drivers who lack permanent legal status with military veterans, pledging to automatically grant commercial licenses to former service members.
Speaking at a military investment summit in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, Trump claimed that undocumented drivers are responsible for high rates of highway accidents.
He alleged that many are unable to read basic safety signs or are operating under the influence of drugs and alcohol.
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“They came in totally illegally and we don’t want them,” Trump said during his remarks. “We’re going to replace them with proud American veterans.”
Under the proposal, any American who has driven a heavy truck for the military would automatically qualify for a commercial driver’s license (CDL).
Trump did not provide specific details on how his administration would implement the automatic licensing process nationwide, which is currently managed by state motor vehicle departments.
The announcement coincides with a broader administration push to limit commercial licensing for foreign nationals.
While federal regulations already strictly require proof of lawful presence, such as U.S. citizenship or permanent residency, to obtain a standard CDL, states have historically issued “non-domiciled” commercial licenses to some temporary visa holders and individuals with work authorization.
The administration’s focus on the issue follows a recent fatal crash in Pennsylvania that killed a state trooper.
The Department of Homeland Security stated that the driver of the tractor-trailer involved was a Haitian immigrant who possessed a Massachusetts-issued CDL but lacked authorization to live in the United States at the time of the crash.
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A defense attorney for the driver stated he had been seeking asylum and had a valid work permit.
While Trump framed the veteran licensing plan as a new initiative to fill jobs, federal programs already exist to help transition service members into the trucking industry.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration currently allows states to waive the skills test portion of the CDL process for military veterans who have safe, verified experience operating heavy military vehicles.
According to the industry data, veterans are already heavily represented in the field, making up roughly one in ten commercial truck drivers, about double their representation in the overall workforce.
President Donald Trump proposed automatically granting commercial driver’s licenses to military veterans while replacing truck drivers lacking permanent legal status.
Trump ignored potential opposition to the policy, framing the move as a matter of administrative authority.
“The radical left is very much opposed to that, but it doesn’t matter what they want,” he said. “Because we’re the ones that are running things.”