On Monday, the Trump administration will announce its latest effort to remove what it calls "dangerous foreign drivers" from the trucking industry and replace them with military veterans.
"Freedom Haulers" is the name of the new promotional campaign to recruit veterans, and at the heart of it is an over-the-top YouTube video (see it below) that intersperses scenes from action hero movies, with combat footage, and scenes of big rigs on the highway.
Today, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the new interagency, patriotic hiring campaign that aims to inform veterans on how to join the trucking industry. A DOT statement said the campaign also outlines why veterans' backgrounds make them a great fit for the job, and connects them with resources to "transition from service to driving a big rig."
Led by the Department of Transportation, the Freedom Haulers campaign also involves the departments of Veteran Affairs, War, and Labor. Friday's announcement said Freedom Haulers "builds on President Trump’s efforts to clean up America’s roadways, crack down on dangerous foreign drivers, and support American truckers."
The campaign will include radio ads, and a new microsite cataloging federal resources and private sector partners that can help service members secure trucking jobs.
On Monday, Duffy and Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins will host a kickoff event for the campaign and announce additional policy measures to support the effort, according to friday's statement.
“Thanks to President Trump’s leadership, we are removing more and more dangerous foreign drivers off our roads every day and restoring the integrity of America’s trucking industry,” said Duffy. “Our new Freedom Haulers campaign will help build on these successes and get the word out that there’s never been a better time for America’s former service members to get behind the wheel of a big rig."
Duffy has led the administration's efforts to remove foreign truckers from American highways. The federal government has stepped up efforts to remove truckers who are not proficient in English, and those who may be driving with invalid non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses.
These efforts have been fueled by several high-profile, fatal truck crashes involving truckers who entered the country illegally
The Freedom Haulers video features clips from action hero movies starring Bruce Willis, Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
