Sean Duffy, the Trump administration’s transportation secretary, recently launched the “Freedom Haulers” initiative, under which thousands of former service members will be recruited into trucking jobs, thus – as Duffy put it – replacing “dangerous foreign drivers.”
The program will also expand access to commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) and connect veterans to CDL training programs and streamlined licensing opportunities. The new initiative, which is being promoted as both a workforce initiative and a veterans transition program, was announced as the Trump administration enforces a broader crackdown on commercial truck drivers who have failed federal English-language requirements or whose licenses were improperly issued.
Former service members to replace ‘dangerous foreign drivers’ in new initiative
Talking about the new Freedom Haulers program, Transportation Department officials made the case that veterans possess skills directly transferable to commercial trucking, including operating heavy vehicles, logistics planning and transportation management. “Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we are removing more and more dangerous foreign drivers off our roads every day and restoring the integrity of America’s trucking industry,” Duffy said in a statement.
“Our new Freedom Haulers campaign will help build on these successes and get the word out that there’s never been a better time for America’s former service members to get behind the wheel of a big rig. Trucking requires the precision, independence and discipline that they forged in the military — there’s no one better to tackle the challenge,” he added.
New veterans’ initiative tied to Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown
In an announcement on Thursday, July 30, President Donald Trump said his administration had removed more than 20,000 undocumented immigrants from the roads, possibly referencing the roughly 26,000 commercial drivers who reportedly lost their CDLs after failing an English proficiency test introduced under a Trump executive order. Trump said those drivers would be replaced by “highly qualified American veterans.”
“For many years, American highways and roadways have been terrorized by unqualified illegal aliens dangerously driving big rigs — rigs like that,” Trump said, pointing to an August 2025 crash involving an undocumented truck driver that killed three people. Homeland Security said at the time that the driver obtained a CDL in California, one of 19 states that issue driver’s licenses regardless of immigration status.
“The radical left wants more jobs for illegal aliens and migrants. … Trump administration wants safer roads and more jobs for the American veteran,” the president added.
While announcing the initiative, Duffy also criticized former President Joe Biden’s immigration policies, saying they allowed “millions of illegals” into the country and made roads less safe. “We didn’t do background checks. They could have had a mile long rap sheet,” Duffy said, adding that “illegals are out” and “American patriots are in in this administration.”
Veterans can apply through the DOT’s Freedom Haulers portal
Veterans interested in the program can apply through the Department of Transportation’s Freedom Haulers portal, which directs applicants to training providers and licensing resources. Current Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration rules already allow some veterans with experience operating heavy military vehicles to bypass portions of the CDL skills test, while others might complete the training before leaving active duty through military transition programs. According to reports, the Trump administration also plans to extend the window for veterans to qualify for expedited CDL treatment from 12 months after separation to 24 months.
According to Duffy, trucking jobs offered through Freedom Haulers will pay between $80,000 and $100,000 annually. The campaign’s website lists an average truck driver salary of about $70,000 and notes that eligible veterans can use GI Bill benefits to cover up to 100 percent of approved CDL training costs.
Freedom Haulers can help ease trucking shortages and economic pressures
Experts say the initiative could help ease longstanding labor shortages across the trucking industry while creating faster pathways for veterans into civilian employment. “The program could lessen the time between leaving military service and securing a career with good pay, while helping trucking companies fill positions that have become increasingly difficult to staff because of an aging workforce and high turnover rates,” Alex Beene, a financial literacy instructor at the University of Tennessee at Martin, told Newsweek.
Kevin Thompson, CEO of 9i Capital Group and host of the “9innings Podcast,” said the initiative is also intended to address economic pressures created by a shortage of drivers. “The program is essentially a response to an inflationary problem. Companies have been forced to pay higher wages to truck drivers because of a labor shortage, which has been exacerbated by immigration restrictions under the Trump administration,” Thompson said. “The goal is to reduce barriers to entry and move veterans into high-demand careers more quickly.”
