'Driving For America' Programs Trains, Finds Jobs For Veterans

DETROIT (WWJ) - A Detroit business owner is on a mission to put veterans on the front lines of the American workforce.

With several family members who have served in the U.S. armed forces — including one as a sniper in Iraq — Scott Taylor founded "Driving for America" as a way to get out-of-work vets employed.

"Our mission is to find and hire veterans to be truck drivers," Taylor told WWJ Newsradio 950's Vickie Thomas. "So we train them and we find them good jobs after that fact."

How did he come up with the idea?

"I've been in this business for over 30 years. I sold my company four-and-a-half years ago; wanted to do something to make a difference," Taylor said."I wanted to stay in the city, because I believe in the city. It just seemed like the right thing to do, and there's a tremendous need in the industry, and veterans are specifically suited for logistics."

"I'd just seen a lot of good, good individuals come back that...kinda couldn't find their way to get back in the industry," he added. "So we figured we could do this to help — my partners and I figured we's just try to make a difference doing this."

It's going well so far, he said, with 70 veterans already through the program since it launched this year.

Driving for America is not government-funded. "We self-funded this ourselves because we believe in the concept," Taylor said. "We're looking for support and we're looking for additional candidates...And we're trying to reach out to more people to let them know what this industry is about and how good these jobs are today."

For more information about the program or to apply, call 313-272-0580 or visit www.drivingforamerica.com.