Trump says veterans could get faster CDL path

President Donald Trump said the administration will soon create a faster path to a Commercial Driver’s License for military veterans who have driven heavy trucks for the military.

During this week’s Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit, Trump said the administration will take “historic action” to remove illegal truck drivers from the road and “replace them with proud American veterans.” He also said, “We’re going to take our veterans … we’re going to teach them a lot about driving trucks,” and that any American who has driven a heavy truck for the military will automatically be eligible for a commercial driver’s license.

The comments came as nearly 200,000 non-domiciled CDL holders are set to exit the freight market after a final rule from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Trump said the plan is meant to replace those drivers if shortages follow.

The remarks also came weeks after Pennsylvania state trooper Michael E. Pahira Jr. was killed while conducting a commercial motor vehicle inspection along Interstate 81. According to Pennsylvania State Police, a second truck left the roadway and struck the patrol unit’s side mirror. Pahira was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead.

Michael Bon, who was operating the second commercial motor vehicle, was arrested by Pennsylvania State Police on July 1 and charged with homicide by vehicle. The next day, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement lodged an immigration detainer against Bon.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, Bon is a 33-year-old “illegal alien” from Haiti who received a CDL in Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles said the federal database showed Bon was eligible for a non-domiciled CDL when he renewed it in February.

Trump also renewed his call for Congress to pass Dalilah’s Law, which the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association says would ensure CDL holders are properly trained and meet safety standards, including English proficiency.

No additional details were released about the veteran CDL plan. FMCSA already has a military skills test waiver program that lets drivers with two years of experience safely operating heavy military vehicles get a CDL without taking the driving test. According to FMCSA, 40,000 service members and veterans have used that program.