Veteran truckers find civilian careers on the road

Fox - 10 Phoenix
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2 Video Views·Nov 12, 2026
Today we honor the men and women who have served our country,
but for many veterans leaving the military
and starting a new career isn't always easy.
No, some, however, are finding the road back to civilian life.
It begins behind the wheel of a big rig.
Fox's Ariana Bartolotti joins us from Denver tonight with more.
Hey, that's right, guys.
According to government data,
about one in 10 truck drivers in the U.S. is a veteran.
And the folks at the American Trucking Association say
that they are always eager to hire former
service members.
I spoke with Desert Storm Desert Shield veteran Nate McCarty,
whose journey as a trucker began
when he retired from the military over three decades ago.
It's another day on the road for Nate McCarty.
So I've been in the trucking industry for 34 years now.
I enjoy the independence of this.
My office, my picture window, my office has ever-changing views.
McCarty isn't just a truck driver.
He's also an Army National Guard veteran.
So for six months, from January of 1991 to June of 1991,
I was mainly in Saudi Arabia.
During Desert Shield, Desert Storm.
And McCarty understands that going from military life
to civilian life can be difficult.
So his advice for veterans, look for a career where you can apply
the same skills you learned in the military.
And we're used to that attention to detail,
checking our equipment every day.
And that translates to when we're doing
our pre-trip inspections every day, our post-trip inspections.
Trucking company Werner Enterprises says more than 20%
of its drivers are veterans.
And the American Trucking Association
says there's a good reason trucking
companies want veterans behind the wheel.
If you've been in the military and you've
had to deal with some really very difficult situations,
bringing those skills to bear
in the civilian market is something very useful.
That's in.
Actually, north of Kuwait City.
And even though McCarty's days in the military are over,
he says his sense of duty to his country never went away.
But we're still serving our country
in a way that we're moving this country.
Trump administration has also partnered with the trucking industry
by launching the Freedom Haulers Initiative.
Now, this is a program that helps expedite
the process of getting a commercial driver's license
for veterans up to two years after active duty service.
Send it back to you guys.
