President Donald Trump announced on Thursday, July 30th, 2026, a new initiative called “Freedom Haulers” designed to connect military veterans with employment opportunities in the trucking industry. The program is a collaborative effort involving the departments of Transportation, Veterans Affairs, Labor, and Defense, according to the White House.

The initiative will also facilitate expedited commercial driver’s licenses for participating veterans. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy highlighted the campaign on social media with the statement, “ILLEGALS OUT, VETERANS IN,” emphasizing the goal of reclaiming America’s highways and prioritizing veterans for trucking jobs.

Earlier this year, Trump signed an executive order mandating that commercial drivers be proficient in English to obtain or retain their licenses. At the announcement event, Duffy was joined by Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins, acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling, and leaders from the trucking industry.

One notable participant, Werner Enterprises, announced plans to hire 1,400 veteran drivers as part of the initiative.

Sources: