SEC SEAN DUFFY: Freedom Haulers puts veterans in the drivers' seats of new careers
America’s trucking industry keeps our economy moving forward. From medicine and fresh produce to fuel and everyday essentials, truckers carry more than 71% of our nation’s freight.
If the trucks stop, America stops.
That is why President Donald Trump and I recently launched Freedom Haulers — a first-of-its-kind interagency hiring campaign to recruit military veterans into the trucking industry and clear the road to get these patriots behind the wheel even faster.
TRUMP PROMOTES FREEDOM HAULERS INITIATIVE TO FAST-TRACK MILITARY VETERANS INTO TRUCKING JOBS
Driving a rig should be a proud, stable career. And for generations of working Americans, it was. Trucking provided a reliable path to the middle class and built communities across the country. But open border policies and widespread fraud turned a proud profession into the Wild West.
Fraudulent driving schools sprouted everywhere, safety rules were ignored and tens of thousands of dangerous foreign drivers were handed the keys to 80,000-pound rigs. The consequence? Innocent families tragically killed in avoidable crashes across the country. Hardworking Americans saw their wages plummet. Family-run American trucking companies were pushed to the edge of bankruptcy.
I have met many of these truckers. They are truly the unsung heroes of our everyday lives–and the way they were treated is unacceptable.
Thankfully, once elected, Trump put his foot down and said enough is enough.
In the last year, my department has launched a sweeping crackdown to restore law and order on our roads. We’ve shut down 8,000 shady driving schools, knocked 26,000 drivers out of service who could not speak basic English or read road signs and revoked more than 30,000 illegally issued licenses to unvetted foreign drivers.
The result? Fraudsters are on the run. Highway fatalities on American roads hit record lows. Driver earnings are up over 7%. And every time I travel, truckers come up to me and say we’re saving their businesses.
Thanks to Trump, there has never been a better time to become a truck driver.
And when it comes to the vital mission of keeping America’s economy moving, we need men and women who know how to answer the call and understand service — America’s veterans. Veterans are built for this work. They have the grit, perseverance and the discipline to take on trucking. Many are familiar with logistics and have the experience operating large military vehicles.
Today, approximately 25% of truckers have a military background, but we think that number can and should be much higher.
That’s where our new Freedom Haulers campaign comes in. In collaboration with the Department of War, Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Labor, we’ve created a new website listing all the resources veterans have at their fingertips to join this exciting industry.
GI Bill benefits and Veteran Readiness and Employment programs can cover 100% of training costs, while SkillBridge allows active-duty service members to get a head start on training so they can start earning a paycheck on day one. On top of that, federal apprenticeship programs offer housing allowances on top of a driver’s regular pay.
We’re also backing this campaign up with action — expanding the pool of veterans who are eligible for the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Military Skills Waiver and the Even Exchange program. This means discharged service members will now have up to two years to apply their military driving experience directly toward a license to drive a big rig.
TRUMP TAPS VETERANS TO FIX ILLEGAL ALIEN TRUCKING PROBLEM PLAGUING US ROADWAYS
By leveraging their record, service members can cut the licensing process down from months to a few weeks. If Secretary Hegseth trusts you to drive a heavy-duty tactical truck in an active combat zone, the American people trust you behind the wheel of a big rig on America’s roads.
The Even Exchange program, however, only works in states that sign up to participate. Thanks to Trump’s leadership and our new campaign, we’ve already gotten nine additional states to join: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Nebraska and Wyoming. The total is now up to 36 states, but there is no reason all 50 and Washington, D.C., shouldn't sign on immediately. To every governor in America, join this cause and help get hardworking patriots on our roads in record time.
American businesses are already answering the president’s call. Industry giant Werner Enterprises has pledged to hire 1,400 military veterans and spouses in the next year, and Troops Into Transportation school has trained over 18,000 veterans on bases nationwide.
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Trump was crystal clear: "The radical Left wants more jobs for illegal aliens and more migrants in 18-Wheelers, and the Trump administration wants safer roads and more jobs for the American veteran."
That’s what Freedom Haulers is all about. To the incredible men and women who served our country, know that this administration has your back. You sacrificed so much to keep our nation safe. The least we can do is ensure that when you take off the uniform, a great career is waiting for you. If you’re looking for a fulfilling career, a good-paying job and the thrill of the open road, this could be your calling.