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Trump's Veteran CDL Initiative Mirrors 15-Year-Old Federal Program

President Trump's announcement Wednesday about streamlining commercial driver's licenses for veterans mirrors an existing federal initiative. The Military Skills Test Waiver Program, administered by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration since 2011, already addresses this need.

At a Pennsylvania event, Trump said military veterans who operated heavy trucks would become automatically eligible for CDLs. The FMCSA program permits state licensing agencies to substitute two years of military truck or bus experience for the skills test portion of the CDL exam.

The program has processed more than 40,000 military veterans seeking CDLs as of June. Veterans must have operated vehicles within the prior 12 months to qualify.

Lewie Pugh, executive vice president of the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association, cautioned that military driving experience differs from civilian trucking operations. He emphasized the need for additional real-world training regardless of military background.