ARLINGTON, Va. — The US trucking industry, through the American Trucking Associations, committed today to hiring 100,000 military veterans over the next two years.

The effort is part of the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring 500,000 Heroes campaign.

“There’s no higher calling for an American than to serve in our armed forces, and I’d like to think that driving a truck – delivering America’s most essential goods safely and efficiently is also a high calling,” said ATA president and CEO Bill Graves. “That’s why we’re so proud to be partnering with Hiring Our Heroes and committing on behalf of the trucking industry to hire 100,000 veterans over the next two years.”

“It is rare in business and in life to find an opportunity that is a win-win for all involved, but that’s what Hiring Our Heroes is – a win for those veterans returning from service looking to transition to civilian life and a win for the trucking industry which is desperate to find dedicated, hard-working and safety-minded people to fill many thousands of open positions as drivers or technicians,” added ATA chairman Duane Long, chairman of Longistics, Raleigh, N.C.

Alphonso Lewis, a professional driver with YRC Freight, said the opportunity will be welcomed by many veterans.

“As a veteran and a professional truck driver, I know that my fellow service members have what it takes – and what fleets are looking for – to safely move America’s freight,” he said. “Driving a truck has been a tremendously rewarding career for me after my service ended and I know that there are thousands of potential drivers in our military just looking for the opportunity.”