Trucker Money Moves

Veterans

I am Army. A lot of drivers are. Here is what the military experience is worth at the CDL office, what the VA will pay for, and the benefits most of us leave on the table.

Skip the CDL skills test, maybe the written test too

If you drove a commercial-size vehicle in the military, FMCSA's Military Skills Test Waiver lets your state skip the driving test, and in 34 states the Even Exchange program also skips the written knowledge test if you held one of the listed MOS or ratings (88M, 3531, and the equivalents). As of October 30, 2026 a federal waiver stretched the eligibility window from one year after separation to two years, and lets you apply in the state where you are stationed instead of your home state. Veterans using the waiver are also exempt from Entry-Level Driver Training.

Bring your DD-214 and the state's waiver form, which is on your state's military CDL page (linked on your state page here). Over 40,000 veterans have used it.

Source: FMCSA Military Driver Programs and FMCSA waiver, October 30, 2026

Let the GI Bill or VR&E pay for school

The Post-9/11 GI Bill pays up to 100% of CDL tuition at a school approved by your State Approving Agency, plus a housing allowance while you are in it. If you have a service-connected disability, Veterans Readiness and Employment (VR&E, Chapter 31) can pay for the whole program and help with placement, without using up GI Bill months. The Department of Labor's registered apprenticeship route lets you draw a monthly housing stipend on top of a full trucking paycheck while you train with a carrier.

Before you pay a school a dime, search it in the GI Bill Comparison Tool and ask for the approval letter. Company-sponsored training is also free up front but ties you to that carrier for a year or two; read the repayment clause.

Source: GI Bill Comparison Tool, VR&E, Apprenticeship.gov

VA benefits most drivers never claim

  • Disability compensation. Tax-free monthly pay for anything service made worse: back, knees, hearing, sleep apnea, PTSD. It does not touch your CDL by itself; a condition is a medical-card question only if it is one the examiner has to look at. File anyway. The PACT Act added 20-plus presumptive conditions for burn pits and toxic exposure.
  • VA health care. If you deployed to a combat zone after 9/11, or were exposed to burn pits or other hazards, you can enroll now without a rating. Community Care lets you be seen near where you are when the VA is too far.
  • VA home loan. No down payment, no PMI, and the funding fee is waived at any compensable rating.
  • Property tax. Most states cut or waive property tax for disabled veterans. Texas, for example, exempts the whole homestead at 100%. Your state veterans department page has the rule and the form.
  • Free DD-214 and records through milConnect or the National Archives, which you need for every one of the above.
  • Accredited help is free. A Veterans Service Officer (your county, the American Legion, DAV, VFW) will file the claim with you for nothing. Never pay a percentage of your back pay to a "claims consultant."

Source: VA disability, VA health care, PACT Act, VA home loans

Your state's veterans department

Each state runs its own department with its own stack of benefits: property tax breaks, free or reduced CDL and plate fees, hunting and fishing licenses, state veterans homes, tuition, hiring preference. Every state page on this site links the official department. Find your state.