U.S. Freedom Haulers veteran driver initiative

On July 24, 2026, the U.S. Department of Transportation introduced the Freedom Haulers campaign, a coordinated effort to recruit military veterans as commercial truck drivers. The program offers a VA‑funded training pathway, the GI Bill, and a waiver that lets veterans who have operated large military vehicles skip the standard CDL skills test. Promotional ads and a dedicated microsite were launched to aid the transition.

Three days later, the White House expanded the rollout, emphasizing that the initiative is a response to a recent Department of Transportation crackdown that removed roughly 26,000 immigrant drivers for inadequate English proficiency and cancelled about 30,000 illegally issued licenses. Under the expanded plan, veterans may obtain a CDL without a road test, receive full GI Bill coverage for training, and, in some cases, a housing stipend. Federal officials also warned states that failure to revoke non‑compliant licenses could lead to withheld highway‑fund allocations.