President Trump on Thursday unveiled a new public-private initiative called Freedom Haulers, aimed at funneling military veterans into the trucking industry. The program, announced at a White House event, is a collaboration among the Departments of Transportation, Veterans Affairs, Labor, and Defense, according to administration officials.
The initiative will streamline the process for veterans to obtain commercial driver's licenses (CDLs), cutting through bureaucratic red tape to get them behind the wheel faster. Trump was joined by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins, acting Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling, and executives from major trucking firms. One company, Werner Enterprises, pledged to hire 1,400 veteran drivers as part of the rollout.
Duffy, a former Fox News contributor and ex-congressman, used the announcement to deliver a pointed message against immigrants working in the industry. In a video posted on X earlier this week, he wrote, "ILLEGALS OUT, VETERANS IN," accompanied by alarm emojis. "Our new campaign, FREEDOM HAULERS, is reclaiming America's highways and putting Vets in the driver's seat," Duffy said.
The anti-immigrant rhetoric ties directly to Trump's earlier executive order requiring commercial drivers to be proficient in English to obtain or retain a CDL. That order, signed earlier this year, has been criticized by immigrant rights groups as a de facto ban on non-English-speaking drivers, many of whom are legal residents or citizens.
The Freedom Haulers initiative is the latest in a series of Trump administration moves to prioritize veterans in the workforce, while simultaneously tightening immigration enforcement in the trucking sector. The industry has long relied on immigrant labor, and the new policy aims to replace those workers with veterans transitioning out of the military.
The event, scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. EDT, included a live-streamed speech from Trump and remarks from cabinet officials. The White House touted the program as a win-win: addressing the trucking industry's labor shortage while providing stable careers for veterans.
However, critics argue that the initiative's anti-immigrant framing risks alienating a vital part of the workforce. The American Trucking Associations has noted that the industry faces a shortage of roughly 80,000 drivers, and immigrants have helped fill that gap. The new English proficiency requirement could exacerbate that shortage, even as Freedom Haulers aims to recruit veterans.
Trump's focus on veterans comes amid a broader push to boost his standing with military families. Earlier this year, he signed an executive order to jumpstart a nuclear renaissance, which included provisions for veteran hiring in the energy sector. The administration has also been navigating tensions with Senate Republicans over budget priorities and nominations, including a hold on the Blanche nomination by Senator John Cornyn.
The Freedom Haulers announcement is part of a pattern of Trump using executive actions to bypass legislative gridlock. With the Senate GOP rejecting his budget ultimatum ahead of recess, Trump is leaning on programs like this to deliver tangible wins for his base. The initiative also aligns with his broader America First agenda, which prioritizes domestic workers over foreign labor.
Duffy's combative language on social media has drawn both praise from Trump allies and condemnation from immigration advocates. The Transportation Secretary has become a key figure in the administration's messaging on immigration and labor, often intertwining the two. His call to put "Vets in the driver's seat" echoes Trump's campaign trail promises to protect American jobs.
