U.S. Rep. Brian Mast (R-FL) introduced legislation last week that would fast-track American Veteran’s paths to earning a commercial driver’s license.
The Freedom Haulers bill would codify an initiative announced last month by President Donald Trump that would connect veterans with good-paying careers as truck drivers. The initiative was announced in a White House press conference that included U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, VA Secretary Doug Collins, and Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling. Officials said that trucker earnings have risen 7.42 percent under Trump and that traffic fatalities have fallen.
Last month at the White House by President Trump, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, VA Secretary Doug Collins, and Acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling, unveiled the Freedom Haulers initiative as a way to connect veterans with good-paying trucking careers. Under President Trump, trucker earnings have surged 7.42 percent and traffic fatalities are at a historic low.
“Veterans have already proven they have the discipline, the training, and the grit to handle the world’s most demanding jobs in the world’s most dangerous places. Hauling America’s freight should be next,” Mast said. “President Trump opened the fast lane for veterans to get behind the wheel and my bill makes sure it stays that way.”
The legislation would double the Military Skills Test Waiver window from 12 months to 24 months after service to allow veterans with heavy vehicle military experience the ability to transfer their skills without taking redundant road tests. Already, more than 40,000 veterans have used this waiver. The legislation would also allow qualified veterans to bypass CDL knowledge exams and receive licenses faster.
The bill builds on work done by Mast to secure America’s roadways and carries out his mission to replace dangerous, unqualified drivers off the road with veterans who, he said, have earned America’s trust to sit behind the wheel.