The Trump administration has launched a new initiative, "Freedom Haulers," designed to expedite the process for military veterans to obtain commercial driver's licenses (CDLs) and enter the trucking industry. The program aims to fill a growing need for drivers while addressing concerns about the licensing of undocumented immigrants in the sector.
At a White House event, President Trump announced that the Department of Transportation (DoT) will expand eligibility for veterans, extending the waiver period for expedited CDLs from 12 to 24 months. For veterans who did not drive heavy commercial vehicles during their service, training programs will also be made available. A recruitment campaign, including digital and radio advertisements and a website listing federal and private resources, will support the initiative.
This program follows a significant crackdown by the DoT, which has resulted in the removal of over 24,000 CDLs from the nation's highways. The DoT has specifically targeted states like New York and California, which were found to have issued commercial licenses to a substantial number of migrant drivers. While these states contended that the drivers possessed work authorization at the time of licensing, federal officials raised concerns about their qualifications and English proficiency, citing potential safety risks.
According to the Department of Transportation, at least 30 deaths in 2025 were linked to 17 fatal crashes involving commercial vehicle drivers who were identified as undocumented immigrants. "They don’t speak English. They cannot read basic road signs. In many cases, they’ve engaged in reckless driving that has caused many, many preventable deaths," President Trump stated at the announcement, characterizing the situation as dangerous.
New York was previously stripped of nearly $74 million in federal highway funding for refusing to revoke 33,000 CDLs issued to immigrant truck drivers. Although the state's Attorney General filed a lawsuit, New York later announced it would cease issuing commercial driver's licenses to non-citizens, following federal restrictions. California also faced threats of federal funding withdrawal after its Department of Motor Vehicles canceled licenses for nearly 13,000 immigrant truck drivers. The federal government had found that approximately 17,000 to 20,000 commercial licenses in California had expiration dates extending beyond the drivers' legal stay or work authorization periods.
Both New York and California are experiencing truck driver shortages, a situation exacerbated by stricter federal requirements for obtaining a CDL, including mandatory English-language testing and restrictions on refugees, asylum seekers, and individuals with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy attributed the issue of unqualified drivers to the current administration's immigration policies, suggesting that millions of undocumented individuals were allowed into the country and subsequently given jobs driving commercial vehicles without adequate training or background checks.
Shortages in the trucking industry can lead to increased shipping costs and delivery delays. The Freedom Haulers program seeks to address these challenges by creating a more accessible pathway for veterans into a critical sector of the economy.