Trucking Groups Urge Congress to Pass Bill Targeting Chameleon Carriers

The associations endorsed the Safety and Accountability in Freight Enforcement (SAFE) Act in the letter, which was obtained exclusively by the Daily Caller. Chameleon carriers are trucking companies that shut down and reopen under new names to avoid penalties, traffic fines and other accountability measures.

These operations often accumulate hundreds of traffic violations and accidents while using the same trucks, drivers and managers. The government has historically found it difficult to track them because they exploit loopholes and deficiencies in registration and detection systems.

The risk assessment firm Fusable found in 2026 that these illegal companies are four times more likely to commit car crashes than legal trucking companies. Chameleon carriers have also been linked to illegal alien truck drivers, often hiring unqualified or illegally operating drivers to evade safety regulations.

A February highway crash that killed four people involved an illegal migrant truck driver who allegedly swerved lanes and hit another car head-on. According to the letter from the trucking associations, the driver was linked to a chameleon carrier network operating out of Chicago.

The SAFE Act was introduced in February 2026.

It would leverage advanced automation and other emerging technologies within the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's registration system to identify chameleon carriers at the start before they are allowed on the road. The letter states that the legislation would create an advanced vetting tool for companies and their drivers.

This tool would provide much-needed and up-to-date information on the scope and frequency of chameleon carriers and the harm they have caused, according to the associations. The letter notes that the carriers have continued to operate by exploiting loopholes and deficiencies in registration and detection systems.

The letter was signed by the American Trucking Associations, the Owner Operator Independent Drivers Association, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the Truckload Carriers Association, the Truck Safety Coalition, American Truckers United, National Tank Truck Carriers, and the Transportation Intermediaries Association.

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters also sent a separate endorsement of the SAFE Act to Congress in March. The associations' letter follows an executive order issued by President Donald Trump that required a standard of proficiency in English for all truck drivers.

The trucking groups said Congress must pass the bill to help the Department of Transportation detect and hold these carriers accountable before tragedies occur.