Freedom Haulers Initiative Aims to Move Veterans into Trucking Jobs

The effort pools resources from the Departments of War, Veteran Affairs and Labor, offering veterans full training costs through the GI Bill, SkillBridge opportunities, and apprenticeship housing subsidies. It widens eligibility for the FMCSA Military Skills Waiver and the Even Exchange program, which lets discharged personnel apply up to two years of military driving experience toward a commercial license, shortening the certification timeline.

The program now operates in 36 states after nine more—Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Nebraska and Wyoming—opted in. Industry partner Werner Enterprises pledged to hire 1,400 veterans and spouses, while the Troops Into Transportation school reports training over 18,000 veterans on bases nationwide.