On this Veterans Day, November 11, the American Trucking Associations leaders thanked the millions of men and women who served our country with distinction, and encouraged those returning from service to consider joining thousands of other veterans in the trucking industry.
“Serving in our nation’s armed forces is one of the highest callings an American can have,” said ATA President and CEO Bill Graves. “Today, we thank all of them for their sacrifices.”
Graves also pointed to recent ATA-supported changes that have made it easier for returning vets to smoothly transition into civilian jobs as truck drivers.
“Fleets have found that veterans are good, dedicated employees who have demonstrated the skills necessary to safely drive large trucks,” he said. “And thanks to recent changes that allow veterans with experience driving in the service to waive the skills test for a commercial driver’s license and to take CDL tests where they are stationed, rather than in their home state, it is less complicated than ever before for veterans to get jobs in our industry.”
ATA Chairman Duane Long, chairman of Longistics, Raleigh NC, said: “One of trucking’s biggest challenges is finding enough qualified, safe drivers to move America’s goods, and, thankfully, if there’s one thing our veterans have proven capable of, it is rising to meet a challenge.”
Long added that there was even more that the government could do to aid in the transition from soldier to driver. “While veterans can use the GI Bill to pay for CDL school, other veterans educational grant programs from the Department of Education, Department of Labor or the VA are closed off to driving schools,” he said. “We should open those grant programs up to make it easier for veterans who want to learn to drive a truck to qualify.”
Nate McCarty, an America’s Road Team Captain and a professional driver with ABF Freight System, said “I’m proud of my service to this country, but I am just as proud of my career as a safe, professional truck driver. This industry is a terrific one for veterans looking to continue serving their country by delivering our most essential goods.”
To see a video message from Governor Graves, click here