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President Donald Trump will unveil the Freedom Haulers initiative Thursday, a White House program designed to expand opportunities for military veterans entering the commercial trucking sector while simultaneously strengthening enforcement against unauthorized and non-English-speaking drivers on American highways. White House spokesperson Anna Kelly announced that the administration has prioritized road safety by removing illegal immigrant and non-English-speaking commercial operators from the nation’s roads, and the new program represents the next phase in supporting veterans’ transition to civilian employment.
The initiative brings together multiple federal agencies, with Trump joined by Department of Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins, and acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling for the announcement on West Executive Avenue. The coordinated effort spans the departments of Transportation, Labor, Veterans Affairs, and Defense to bolster the trucking industry’s workforce while supporting veterans seeking quality employment in the private sector.
The Department of Transportation will expand veterans’ eligibility for expedited commercial driver’s licenses by extending the waiver period from 12 months to 24 months following active-duty service. Additionally, the department will provide CDL training for veterans without prior heavy commercial vehicle experience, and Indiana and Wyoming will now participate in the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Even Exchange program to facilitate veterans’ transition to civilian CDLs.
Omaha-based Werner Enterprises, attending Thursday’s event, will announce plans to hire 1,400 new veteran drivers as part of the initiative. The announcement reflects broader efforts to address workforce shortages in the trucking industry while prioritizing experienced military personnel.
The administration has intensified enforcement of commercial driver licensing standards, removing more than 24,000 CDLs under stricter English-language proficiency requirements and canceling over 28,000 licenses issued improperly to noncitizen drivers. These actions follow fatal crashes involving unauthorized immigrant truck drivers in Florida, California, Indiana, and Pennsylvania, including a recent incident in Pennsylvania where a state police trooper was killed by a semitruck operated by a Haitian national holding a non-domiciled CDL.
Federal data shows truck drivers have experienced a 7.42% increase in real wages under the Trump administration compared to a 3% decline during the Biden presidency. The Department of Transportation also reports that veteran truck drivers experience 42% fewer accidents and cover 98% more miles than non-veteran operators, supporting the administration’s claim that the initiative will enhance highway safety and strengthen supply chain infrastructure.
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