President Donald Trump is set to launch the Freedom Haulers initiative on Thursday, a White House effort to recruit military veterans into the trucking industry while intensifying the administration’s crackdown on illegal immigrant and non-English-speaking commercial drivers. Fox News Digital exclusively learned of the plan.
“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 said.
Trump will be joined by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins and acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling for a ceremony on West Executive Avenue. They will welcome a truck to mark the announcement.
The Department of Transportation will expand eligibility for veterans to receive expedited commercial driver’s licenses, extending the waiver period from 12 months to 24 months after active-duty service. For veterans who have never driven a heavy commercial vehicle during their military service, CDL training will be offered.
Indiana and Wyoming will join the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Even Exchange program, easing the transition for military truck drivers into civilian CDLs. Werner Enterprises, an Omaha, Nebraska-based trucking company, plans to hire 1,400 new veteran drivers.
The administration is also highlighting its ongoing crackdown on commercial drivers who fail to meet English-language proficiency requirements or are improperly licensed. The Department of Transportation says 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 canceled after officials determined they had been improperly issued to noncitizen truck drivers.
The White House says the initiative aims to improve highway safety while strengthening the nation’s trucking workforce. The announcement follows a series of fatal crashes involving illegal immigrant truck drivers in states including Florida, California, Indiana and Pennsylvania. Earlier this month, a Pennsylvania State Police trooper was killed during a roadside inspection when a semitruck driven by a Haitian national struck him. Authorities say the driver had obtained a non-domiciled CDL before the administration’s rule changes.
Trump administration data indicates veteran truck drivers experience 42% fewer accidents and cover 98% more miles than non-veteran drivers. The Department of Transportation argues the initiative will both improve highway safety and help strengthen America’s supply chains.