Fleets pledge 13,000 jobs for veterans

TRUCK PARKING CLUB

Friday Bulletin • November 13, 2026

Good Morning Truck Parking Club Members,

Tickets, Tows, and Knocks on the Door

Nobody forgets the 2 a.m. knock on the door. Tell us about the last ticket, tow, or move-along you got, what it really cost you, and the places you've learned to stay away from. Three tap-to-answer questions and four in your own words.

$25 promo code shown after you submit.

Settle It: What's the Best Truck Stop Breakfast?

Stuffing ran away with last week's Thanksgiving side vote, 46 of 154. Green bean casserole was a distant second at 28. Cornbread got 6. Rough week for cornbread.

Since we're already on food, this one's for the 5 a.m. counter crowd. Tap your usual order.

The Big Thing

Fleets Pledge 13,000 Jobs for Veterans

At least one in ten truckers is a veteran, double the rate for workers overall, according to the Census Bureau. DOT wants that number a lot higher.

On Veterans Day, Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs gave an update on the National Mall on Freedom Haulers, the program DOT started in July to move people from the military into trucking. Twelve trucking companies have now pledged to hire more than 13,000 veterans through it. DOT also pointed to $3.5 million in FMCSA money for CDL schools in 21 states, and nearly 400 veterans who have already used the GI Bill to pay for truck driving school.

Most of what has actually changed is paperwork, and it's the good kind. If you drove trucks in the service, the military skills test waiver can let you skip the CDL skills test altogether. You used to have one year after getting out to use it. Now you have two. DOT says more than 40,000 veterans have gone that route. Some states also do what's called Even Exchange, which gives qualifying military drivers credit for the knowledge test too. DOT says that gets some vets licensed in weeks instead of months.

If you're still in uniform, SkillBridge lets you spend your last 180 days of active duty training with a civilian employer, and trucking companies are part of it. The GI Bill can cover up to 100% of tuition at an approved CDL school, which can beat a company-paid school with strings attached.

DOT hasn't said which 12 companies made those pledges, so if you're a vet shopping for a seat, you'll have to ask. Werner is the one fleet we know of with a public number: 1,400 veterans and military spouses in 2027. We'd like to see the rest of the list. The program's page is freedomhaulers.dot.gov if you know someone getting out.

Read more: Truck News | The Trucker | USDOT | Census Bureau

Mile Markers

Where things stood this week.

Diesel: $6.127/gal. Down 16.5 cents, the second drop in a row, and California finally slipped under $8. EIA thinks it keeps sliding, too. Its new outlook has diesel averaging $5.03 a gallon next year. (EIA)

Spot rates (all-in, national average): Van $3.11, Reefer $3.70, Flatbed $3.65 per mile. Reefer led the climb as holiday food freight started moving. All-in van is about $1.02 a mile higher than this time last year, and linehaul is up 31% to 35% across all three. (DAT)

Stay Off The Ramp

Thanksgiving is two weeks out, and holiday freight is already rolling (ask any reefer driver). If you know where you're shutting down tonight, book it before you get there instead of hoping something opens up.

Use code ramp25 for $25 off any daily booking at any of our 7,674 locations, and leave the ramp to the snowplows.

Quick Hits

Super Trucker Membership - $9.99/month

Unmatched flexibility + brand new features, right at your fingertips.

• 5 refunds per month (cancel before booking starts, money goes to Club Cash)

• 5 free booking date changes per month

• 5% Club Cash on every purchase (up from 1%), up to $50/month

• Access to Truck Navigation with every booking

• MORE BENEFITS TO COME!

Property Members: Free Signage & Access Controls

Need signage for your lot? Have an automated gate you want connected to our app? We cover it.

News

FMCSA's complaint line got an overhaul. On November 6, FMCSA replaced its old National Consumer Complaint Database with a new FMCSA Complaint Center. You can now file complaints about property brokers, entry-level driver training schools, intermodal equipment providers, and registration fraud or identity theft. FMCSA says you don't need every detail before you file, though a complaint doesn't automatically mean an investigation. File at complaint.fmcsa.dot.gov or call 1-888-DOT-SAFT (1-888-368-7238), 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern, weekdays. Read more on FMCSA

Roadcheck 2027 has a date. CVSA set next year's International Roadcheck for May 11 to 13, 2027. This year's ran 54,575 inspections and put about 19% of vehicles and 5.8% of drivers out of service, with medical certificate problems at the top of the driver list. The 2027 focus areas aren't out yet. Put it on the calendar and keep that med card current. Read more on HDT

A Pittsburgh street swallowed part of a truck. Now the driver is suing. A Texas-based driver has sued the City of Pittsburgh and its water and sewer authority after a sinkhole opened under her front tire at N. Evaline and Dearborn streets in December 2024. Her complaint says the authority had worked on that intersection days earlier, and that the city later tied the hole to a water main break. If a road ever damages your truck, take pictures of the hole and the damage right there, write down the time and place, and report it to the city or utility. Read more on Land Line

Highway Hustlin' Christmas Party

Saturday, December 12, 6 to 10 PM • Peach State Truck Centers, Villa Rica, GA

One month out. Our friend Larry Cothran is throwing a Christmas party for the people who keep this industry moving, with industry awards, featured speakers, heavy hors d'oeuvres, music, prizes, and a toy drive. Ages 18 and up.

Larry set aside a limited number of 50% off General Admission tickets for the Truck Parking Club community. Use code TRUCKPARKINGCLUB at checkout.

• Good for General Admission only. It doesn't apply to Preferred Seating or other ticket types.

• Limited tickets, first come, first served. The code shuts off once they're gone.

The Regulars

📍 Map Check: 7,674 Locations

That's 135 more than last week. If you're one of our new Property Members, welcome aboard!

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🎖️ Customer Care Corner

24/7 support, and everyone on our team has driven a truck. Chad got called out by name in eight five-star reviews this week. Nice work, Chad.

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⭐ Review of the Week

Thanks for the review, Thomas, and thanks for being a Trucker Member!