Service in motion: new path for veterans in trucking

The Freedom Haulers initiative is a USA-based program seeking to bring more armed service veterans into the trucking industry. Photo: Freedom Haulers

The new Freedom Haulers initiative is designed to make it easier for military veterans and transitioning service members to move into civilian trucking careers. Among the most significant changes is an expansion of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Military Skills Test Waiver, which now gives veterans up to two years after leaving active duty to use qualifying military driving experience toward obtaining a commercial driver’s license. The previous window was one year.

That may sound like a relatively simple administrative change, but sometimes workforce progress comes from removing exactly these kinds of barriers.

More than 40,000 veterans have already used the waiver program, and another seven states – Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland and Wyoming – recently committed to joining FMCSA’s Even Exchange program. That brings participation to 34 states and gives more qualified veterans the opportunity to convert applicable military credentials into a CDL without repeating written and driving exams.

Other changes provide additional flexibility. Active-duty service members can now apply and test for a commercial learner’s permit or CDL in the state where they are stationed rather than having to return to their home state, with that option remaining available for two years after service.

The larger opportunity, however, extends beyond making licensing easier.

Military service develops many of the characteristics employers throughout the SC&RA community consistently identify as valuable: discipline, accountability, situational awareness, teamwork, adaptability and an understanding that procedures exist for a reason. Those qualities translate particularly well into an industry where safety, communication and attention to detail can determine the success of an entire operation.

Worth pursuing

Freedom Haulers also recognizes that not every veteran arrives with heavy-truck experience. Existing federal resources can help bridge that gap through CDL training, apprenticeships and programs that allow transitioning service members to begin civilian career preparation before leaving active duty. The GI Bill can cover approved CDL training, while other programs provide training assistance, employment support and opportunities to earn educational benefits while learning on the job.

For employers, the takeaway should be broader than any single federal initiative. The industry’s workforce challenge will not be solved by one recruiting program or one source of employees. Progress will come from building more pathways into the industry and making sure unnecessary obstacles do not prevent capable people from entering it.

SC&RA members can play an important role in that process. Companies should understand which veteran employment and training programs are available in their states, examine whether recruiting efforts are reaching transitioning service members and consider how existing training programs can turn transferable military skills into the specialized capabilities the industry requires.

None of that means lowering standards. In an industry built around safety, it means creating clearer routes for qualified people to meet them.

For companies and individuals interested in taking the next step, the Freedom Haulers initiative provides a new online resource designed to make the transition easier to navigate. The site’s “Launch Your Journey” section separates the process into two tracks – Military Vehicle Operators and General Service Members – recognizing that veterans enter the industry with very different levels of applicable driving experience.

Military Vehicle Operators can follow a step-by-step roadmap for translating qualifying heavy-vehicle experience into a civilian CDL. And General Service Members without comparable heavy-vehicle experience are directed toward the training and licensing pathway appropriate to them.

For SC&RA members interested in strengthening the veteran-to-industry pipeline – or helping prospective employees navigate it – this new resource provides a practical and productive place to start.

The Freedom Haulers campaign is an interagency initiative led by the US White House and the US Departments of Transportation, Veteran Affairs, Defense and Labor. 

This article originally ran in the September edition of American Cranes & Transport magazine. Read the full edition here.