President Donald Trump announced at the Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit that his administration plans to clamp down on illegal alien truck drivers and replace them with military veterans.
According to Trump, some of the drivers can’t read road signs and many are on drugs and alcohol.
The replacement program details have not been released or if veterans would still be required to meet federal or state testing requirements.
Based on Trump's comments, the proposal would apply to U.S. military veterans with experience operating heavy trucks or similar vehicles during their service.
Current federal regulations already allow states to waive certain CDL testing requirements for eligible service members and veterans with qualifying military driving experience.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau 2019 report, at least one in 10 truck drivers was a veteran. The American Trucking Association say there are about 3.5 million professional truck drivers in the U.S.
Earlier this year, the Trump administration imposed new restrictions on noncitizen commercial driver’s licenses that limited eligibility for many asylum seekers, refugees, and DACA recipients. An executive order directed the Department of Transportation (DOT) to enforce English-proficiency requirements and review commercial driver’s licenses for foreigners authorized to work in the U.S.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, immigrants make up about 18% of employed truck drivers in the United States, at least doubling the number of immigrant drivers since 2000.
The DOT reported in February that at least 17 fatal crashes have occurred that kill at least 30 people in 2025 involving immigrant commercial drivers who would no longer qualify under the new rules.
For now, the veteran licensing proposal remains a proposal rather than a formal policy. No executive order, regulation, or guidance outlining the program has yet been released.