President Donald Trump has launched the “Freedom Haulers” initiative, which provides a pathway for military veterans to become truck drivers, according to Fox Digital. This initiative has been positioned as part of the crackdown against illegal immigrants and non-English speakers working as truck drivers.
“President Trump’s administration has made our roads safer by taking illegal alien, non-English-speaking truck drivers off America’s highways. Now, through the Freedom Haulers initiative, the president is expanding opportunities for our veterans by making it easier to obtain commercial driver’s licenses once they conclude their service,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told Fox News Digital.
“By leading a multi-agency process spanning the departments of Transportation, Labor, Veterans Affairs and War, President Trump is bolstering America’s trucking industry, which is crucial to strong supply chains, while helping our nation’s heroes transition to civilian life with quality, good-paying jobs,” Kelly added.
READ: Trump vows to replace immigrant truck drivers with American veterans (July 16, 2026)
According to Fox, the Department of Transportation (DoT) will expand eligibility for veterans to receive expedited commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs), extending the waiver period from 12 months to 24 months after active-duty service. CDL training will also be offered for veterans who have never driven a heavy commercial vehicle.
DoT reported that it has removed more than 24,000 commercial driver’s licenses from the nation’s highways under stricter English-language proficiency enforcement. More than 28,000 CDLs were also canceled after officials determined they had been improperly issued to noncitizen truck drivers.
Indiana and Wyoming are also reported to join the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Even Exchange program, allowing military truck drivers to more easily transition into civilian CDLs. Meanwhile, Werner Enterprises, an Omaha, Nebraska-based trucking company announced plans to hire 1,400 new veteran drivers.
READ: Visa overstays detained at airports as Trump expands immigration enforcement (July 29, 2026)
Earlier this month, Trump had spoken about this at a military investment summit in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. He 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.
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.