60 Minutes Exposes ‘Chameleon’ Trucking Firms Evading U.S. Safety Rules
A new 60 Minutes investigation details how so‑called "chameleon carriers"—commercial trucking companies that repeatedly change names and federal DOT numbers—are exploiting gaps in U.S. regulation to erase bad safety records and keep dangerous trucks on the road. The report centers on Super Ego Holding, a Serbia‑ and U.S.-based network of trucking and leasing companies now under federal investigation and named in a class‑action lawsuit, which regulators and former employees describe as one of the most notorious schemes. Trucking safety consultant Rob Carpenter estimates that out of roughly 700,000 U.S. trucking companies, 10%–20% operate somewhere on the chameleon spectrum, with some networks owned and operated from Eastern Europe, India and Central Asia using shell companies, minimal insurance and quick DOT registrations that can be obtained online in about 21 days for around $1,000. Undercover video shows the same drivers and trucks simply slapped with new carrier names and DOT numbers, effectively wiping away hundreds of violations tied to issues like poor maintenance, excessive driving hours, and drug and alcohol use. The investigation ties these practices to a broader pattern of more than 5,300 truck‑related deaths in 2024 and raises serious questions about whether federal oversight is keeping up with globalized, lightly vetted freight operators using U.S. roads as a profit center while shifting the safety risk onto American motorists.
📊 Relevant Data
Approximately 18-19% of employed truck drivers in the U.S. are foreign-born, with their numbers more than doubling from 316,000 in 2000 to over 720,000 in 2021.
Addressing the U.S. Truck Driver Shortage: The Role of Foreign-Born Drivers, Visa Policy, and Supply Chain Impacts — Forum Together
The percentage of White truck drivers in the U.S. decreased from 77% to 63% over the past decade, indicating increasing racial diversity in the industry.
Study reveals shifting truck driver demographics — Land Line
At least 17 fatal crashes and 30 deaths in 2025 were caused by non-domiciled truck drivers in the U.S.
Trump’s Transportation Secretary Sean P. Duffy Puts Safety First, Finalizes Rule to Stop Dangerous Truck Drivers from Getting Behind the Wheel — Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration
U.S. immigration regulations allow alien truck drivers to qualify for admission as B-1 visitors for business to pick up or deliver cargo, facilitating foreign involvement in the trucking industry.
How Do I Enter the United States as a Commercial Truck Driver? — U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Trucking firms in the U.S. have used H-2B visas to bring in seasonal or temporary foreign drivers, though subject to annual caps.
Addressing the U.S. Truck Driver Shortage: The Role of Foreign-Born Drivers, Visa Policy, and Supply Chain Impacts — Forum Together
Foreign-born workers in the U.S., including truck drivers, are overrepresented in high-risk jobs, with driver/sales workers and truck drivers having a lost-time injury rate roughly three times the national average.
Many foreign-born workers are in high risk jobs — Working Immigrants
📌 Key Facts
- 60 Minutes conducted an eight‑month investigation into 'chameleon carriers' that repeatedly rebrand to escape federal safety records.
- Super Ego Holding, a Serbia‑ and U.S.-based trucking and leasing network, is under federal investigation and named in a class‑action lawsuit over alleged chameleon operations.
- There are about 700,000 U.S. trucking companies, and an estimated 10%–20% may be operating as or near chameleon carriers.
- New DOT registrations can be obtained online in roughly 21 days for about $1,000, with no requirement that the owner be a U.S. citizen.
- The report links these evasive carriers and their violations to a broader backdrop of more than 5,300 truck‑related deaths in 2024.
📰 Source Timeline (1)
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