Trucker Tax Credit: $7,500 Incentive for CDL Drivers, But It Expires in 2026

The Strengthening Supply Chains Through Truck Driver Incentives Act of 2025 is a straightforward piece of legislation: it creates a temporary, substantial tax credit aimed squarely at the folks who keep the shelves stocked and the economy moving—commercial truck drivers.

Starting for the 2025 tax year, eligible Class A CDL holders can claim a new federal income tax credit of $7,500. The goal here is simple: address the chronic driver shortage by putting real money back into the pockets of the people doing the heavy lifting. This isn't a deduction; it’s a credit, meaning it reduces your tax bill dollar-for-dollar. However, this program is designed to be a quick shot in the arm for the industry—it’s set to expire after December 31, 2026.

The Fine Print: Who Gets the $7,500?

As with any tax break, there are hoops to jump through. To qualify for the $7,500 credit, you must meet two main requirements: an income cap and a driving hours minimum. If you’re a single filer, your Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) must be under $90,000. For heads of household, the limit is $112,500, and for married couples filing jointly, it’s $135,000. If you earn over those amounts, you’re out of luck, even if you spend all your time on the road.

Second, you need to prove you’re actually driving. The bill requires you to have driven a qualifying commercial vehicle for at least 1,900 hours during the tax year. That’s roughly 48 weeks of 40-hour driving weeks. This minimum hour requirement means the credit is aimed at full-time, professional drivers, not just those with a CDL who drive occasionally.

Extra Credit for New Blood and Apprentices

The bill offers a bigger incentive to attract new people to the profession. If you didn't drive a commercial truck in the year before the tax year you're claiming the credit, you qualify for a larger credit of $10,000. This provision is clearly trying to entice career-changers and recent graduates into the industry.

Even better, if you’re an apprentice in a registered program working toward your Class A CDL, you can count your training hours toward the required driving time. This helps bridge the gap between classroom training and full-time employment, ensuring new drivers can access the financial benefit right away. If you're a new driver who drove less than the required hours (specifically, less than 1,420 hours), you can still claim a partial credit proportional to the hours you did drive.

The Real-World Impact and the Clock

For a qualifying driver, a $7,500 or $10,000 tax credit is significant—it’s a huge boost to annual income, helping offset rising fuel costs, maintenance, and the general cost of living. For example, a single driver making $75,000 a year could see a substantial reduction in their tax liability, effectively giving them a massive raise.

However, the biggest catch is the sunset clause. This program is only guaranteed for the 2025 and 2026 tax years. While the bill includes a provision to adjust the income caps and credit amounts for inflation starting in 2026, the temporary nature means the industry can only rely on this incentive for a short time. If the goal is long-term supply chain stability, a two-year credit might not be enough to fundamentally change the career calculations for most people. It’s a great short-term fix, but drivers and carriers will need to watch closely to see if Congress decides to extend the expiration date.