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New Senate bill targets ‘chameleon carriers’ that reopen to escape penalties and enforcement
Young framed the proposal as a road-safety measure. “When unsafe trucking companies evade enforcement by reopening under a new identity, everyone who shares the road” faces risk, Young stated. Kim described the legislation as a way to address operators who skirt regulations. He stated that those actions “can cost people’s lives.”
Study would measure the problem
The SAFE Act would require the Government Accountability Office to study the scope of chameleon carriers nationwide. That report would estimate their prevalence, related fatalities, serious injuries, property damage, and enforcement methods. GAO would also review federal monitoring weaknesses and recommend improvements. Congress would receive the findings within one year after enactment.
FMCSA could share information with agencies including the Justice Department, Treasury Department, Homeland Security, Postal Service, and state partners. The bill requires data privacy protections during that work. DOT’s inspector general would audit the tool two years after implementation. That audit would measure flagged applications, rejected registrations, errors, redeterminations, and severe-crash reductions.
The Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association supports the Senate legislation. OOIDA President Todd Spencer called it a way to “identify and weed out bad actors” before they become chameleon carriers. The American Trucking Associations, Truckload Carriers Association, National Tank Truck Carriers, and Indiana Motor Truck Association also endorsed the proposal. Rep. Harriet Hageman, R-Wyo., introduced the House version earlier this year.
Why it matters
Bad actors can exploit weak registration checks to return with a clean-looking identity. The SAFE Act would place greater attention on ownership, contact information, equipment, insurance, and operational links before FMCSA issues a USDOT number.
Click here for more articles on cargo theft and freight fraud by Phil Brink.
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