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Trump proposes automatic CDL eligibility for some veterans
Planned action would apply to Americans who drove heavy trucks during military service
Key Takeaways:
- President Donald Trump said some military truck drivers will soon become automatically eligible for commercial driver licenses.
- The president tied the proposal to enforcement efforts targeting unqualified foreign commercial vehicle drivers.
- FMCSA updated its Even Exchange Program website, which includes CDL-related provisions for qualifying military personnel.
President Donald Trump announced plans for some veterans to have automatic eligibility for commercial driver licenses during a recent military-related business summit in Pennsylvania.
He said that soon action will be taken to ensure “any American who’s driven a heavy truck for our military will automatically be eligible for a commercial driver’s license.”
Trump’s announcement was made July 15 at the U.S. Army War College in Carlisle during a two-day 2026 Pennsylvania Defense and Innovation Summit, attended by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, other federal officials, politicians and business leaders.
While the president provided limited information about a planned “historic action” regarding CDLs, Trump highlighted his administration’s safety concerns over undocumented foreign truckers lacking English-language proficiency skills, some of whom were arrested for their involvement in crashes in which multiple people died.
He cited undocumented truck drivers, “who are just killing a lot of people. They can’t read signs. Many of them are on drugs or alcohol and they shouldn’t be driving these things. They came in totally illegally and we don’t want them, but they are driving all over American roadways.”
Last year, Trump issued an executive order requiring foreign-national commercial truck drivers to demonstrate they can adequately communicate in English with traffic safety officers, border patrol agents and roadside inspectors, and read and understand road signs. Since then, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has been enforcing the ELP mandate and other regulatory measures to remove unqualified foreign commercial vehicle drivers from the nation’s roadways.
During his remarks in Pennsylvania, Trump said, “We’re going to replace them [undocumented foreign truckers] with proud American veterans. We’re going to teach them a lot about driving trucks and in many cases they know.”
That day, FMCSA updated its CDL program website, called the “Even Exchange Program,” which provides a knowledge-test waiver for military veterans transitioning into professional driving careers.
Under the current program, a driver can exchange a military license for a CDL.
“Military personnel can use this skills test waiver if currently licensed and are or were employed within the past year (12 months) in a military position requiring the operation of a military motor vehicle equivalent to a commercial motor vehicle,” according to FMCSA.
The program now requires military personnel to have one of the following military occupational specialties or occupational classifications:
Army
- 88M: Motor transport operator
- 92F: Fueler
- 14T: Patriot launching station operator
Marine Corps
- 3531: Motor vehicle operator
Navy
- EO: Equipment operator
Air Force
- 2TI: Vehicle operator
- 2FO: Fueler
- 3E2: Pavement and construction equipment operator
Though FMCSA determines CDL requirements, states issue the licenses. Currently, 56% of states have implemented the “Even Exchange Program.”
FMCSA noted Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Florida and Wyoming are adopting the program.
