Trucking Safety and Regulation

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.