President Trump unveiled “Freedom Haulers,” an initiative to put U.S. veterans behind the wheel instead of illegal immigrants.
“Last year alone, illegal aliens with Commercial Driver’s Licenses caused at least 30 deaths, and many, many very seriously injured. As President, I made it our official policy to enforce English language requirement for truck drivers and support American truckers on American roadways,” he explained. “We’ve already removed more than 24,000 non-English speakers from behind the wheel. We’ve also forced states to cancel more than 28,000 [CDLs] unlawfully issued to illegal aliens.”
“As we get illegal aliens off the roads, today, we’re also taking action to replace these unqualified migrant truck drivers with highly-qualified American veterans,” Trump added. “Any American who has driven a heavy truck for our military will automatically be eligible for a Commercial Driver’s Licenses … any veteran with heavy vehicle experience from the military will now be eligible to skip redundant road tests to obtain a [CDL] within 2 years following their active duty service.”
Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy said in a department statement on the effort, “Illegal immigrants who can’t speak our language have no business getting behind the wheel of a big rig. Veterans – who have already demonstrated the grit, discipline, and skills to take on this vital task – are the right people for the job.”
“Now 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. Thanks to President Trump, there has never been a better time to be a truck driver and keep America moving.”
The initiative creates several policy changes, including extending a military skills test waiver window, fast-tracking the CDL licensing process through the Even Exchange Program, and offering active-duty service members the opportunity to apply for the role in the state where they are stationed rather than their home state.
President Trump previously signed an executive order directing truckers to demonstrate proficiency in English. The order declared that truckers “should be able to read and understand traffic signs, communicate with traffic safety, border patrol, agricultural checkpoints, and cargo weight-limit station officers. Drivers need to provide feedback to their employers and customers and receive related directions in English.” Trump called these policies “common sense.”
