U.S. legislators are proposing a bill to help veterans find jobs in the trucking industry

Service members who are coming back from Iraq and Afghanistan and discharged from the Armed Forces often need help looking for jobs for which their military training has prepared them. The federal government recently proposed a plan that will train military veterans to work as truck drivers, Forbes reports.

The proposal is estimated to cost around $650,000 annually, which would be covered using state funds. Safety directors may want to enroll their new employees in CDL training to help them get accustomed to operating a larger vehicle and to promote trucking safety.

"I believe the best thing we can do for [veterans] is give them a job that is meaningful and allows them to take care of their families as quick as we can to help them deal with the pressures [finding a job]," Ray Kuntz, chief operating officer of Watkins and Shepard trucking company, told the news source.

The proposal has received an initial endorsement in the Senate last month. Other supporters from the trucking industry said there is a big demand for drivers and this initiative could help boost the turbulent economy.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment opportunities for truck drivers are expected to increase by 13 percent over the next seven years.

By Andie Martin

U.S. legislators are proposing a bill to help veterans find jobs in the trucking industry

Tuesday, March 15th, 2011