Veterans Enter Transportation Jobs in Record Numbers Through Program

WASHINGTON -- More than 10,000 veterans and active-duty personnel have now taken advantage of the U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Military Skills Test Waiver Program. In the first three years of the program, approximately 6,000 former military personnel obtained a civilian commercial driver's license (CDL). In the past 12 months alone, another 4,000 individuals, including Reserves, National Guard and U.S. Coast Guard service members, have taken advantage of the program.

"It is our duty to help returning veterans transition into civilian life, and I am proud that so many have used this program to secure careers in the transportation sector," Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx said. "Just as important, we want to put their valuable skills and experience to work driving the nation's economy."

The Military Skills Test Waiver Program began in 2011 and grants state licensing agencies, including the District of Columbia, the authority to waive the skills test portion of the CDL application for active-duty or recently separated veterans who possess at least two years of safe driving experience operating a military truck or bus. Waiving the skills test expedites the civilian CDL application process and reduces expenses for qualified individuals and operating costs to state licensing agencies.

"In the near future, the need for skilled truck drivers is expected to grow dramatically," FMCSA chief counsel Scott Darling said. "Having skillful and experienced drivers operating on our roadways will lead to increased safety for every member of the motoring public."

The USDOT/FMCSA Military Skills Test Waiver Program has been conducted in close cooperation with the Department of Defense and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA).

Additional information, including a standardized application form accepted in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, is available here.

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