Task force aims to create ‘bridge between veterans and the trucking industry’

The push to add veterans to the trucking industry has been apparent over the past year. That push continued on April 4 with President Joe Biden’s announcement of a new task force.

Task Force Movement: Life-Cycle Pathways for Veterans and Military into Trucking is the latest effort to transition veterans into a career in trucking. Its mission, according to the White House, is to, “support the recruitment and retention of veterans and military family members.”

Army veteran Patrick Murphy, a former U.S. House of Representatives member from Pennsylvania, will chair the task force. Murphy, whose grandfather and father were truckers after serving in the military, said building a bridge between the military and trucking will be critical to their success.

“What task force movement is all about is really to create that bridge. That bridge between veterans and the trucking industry,” Murphy said. “Because, for my family, it was built and survived on in that industry. It’s how we got through. And I’ll tell you, it’s that bridge that needs to be more accessible to our brother and sister veterans.”

Current efforts to transition veterans into a career in trucking are showing promise. Part of the Biden administration’s 90-day Truck Action Plan was to increase veteran outreach and recruitment efforts. Additionally, software development hiring company Fastport was tabbed as an intermediary to establish registered apprenticeship programs in the transportation industry.

According to the White House, 100 major companies – including UPS, Pepsi and Domino’s – have launched registered apprenticeship programs for veterans in the past 90 days.

The parallels between military life and the trucking industry are well noted. In December, the White House estimated approximately 70,000 veterans are likely to have certified trucking experience in the last five years. The administration has continued to support efforts that would make transition for veterans into trucking as smooth and quick as possible.

“If you can handle a tank, if you can handle an armored personnel carrier, you can sure as hell handle one of these suckers,” Biden said.

While Murphy celebrates the support of the administration when it comes to providing a path for veterans to find a career in trucking, he said the work isn’t done.

“It’s about opportunity. It’s about the future of America. It’s about making sure America gets back to work,” Murphy said. “Today is a good day, but today is just the beginning.”

More information on programs for veterans interested in a career in trucking can be found here and on Fastport’s national apprenticeship website. LL