“If a trucking company racks up violations or loses its license, it should not get to slap on a new name and get back on the road,” Hageman said. (Spenser Heaps/Associated Press)
February 18, 2026 12:01 PM, EST
Key Takeaways:
- The House took up the SAFE Act, a bill by Rep. Harriet Hageman to tighten federal oversight of motor carrier registrations and curb chameleon carriers.
- Supporters say the bill matters because chameleon carriers evade enforcement by rebranding, creating safety risks and undermining compliant trucking companies.
- The bill awaits committee consideration as Congress prepares for upcoming highway reauthorization votes.
The U.S. House this month took up legislation aimed at cracking down on so‑called “chameleon carriers.”
Rep. Harriet Hageman (R‑Wyo.), a senior member of the Natural Resources Committee, unveiled the Safety and Accountability in Freight Enforcement Act to strengthen federal oversight of motor carrier registrations. She emphasized that such “chameleon carriers” — firms that quickly dissolve and return to service under a new name to avoid regulatory monitoring — pose a safety risk to the traveling public.
“These companies game the system, ignore the law and put American families at risk, all while punishing hardworking truckers who follow the rules,” Hageman said in a statement included in American Trucking Associations’ announcement of the bill Feb. 13.
“If a trucking company racks up violations or loses its license, it should not get to slap on a new name and get back on the road,” Hageman added. “My bill closes dangerous loopholes and holds bad actors accountable.”
Specifically, the SAFE Act would establish a comprehensive system to further detect “chameleon carriers” in the federal registration process and ensure they are subject to enforcement when regulators determine they violated regulations.
The legislation also would require regulators to produce a nationwide study on the impact of chameleon carriers, direct the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to develop and implement an advanced automation tool to better identify suspicious registration applications, and enhance interoperability between federal and state agencies.
Per a summary the sponsor provided, it would “direct the administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to conduct a study on chameleon carriers in the United States and plan, develop and test an advanced automation tool to help enforcement personnel detect chameleon carrier applications under the registration process of the Department of Transportation.”
A committee of jurisdiction on Capitol Hill has yet to schedule the bill’s consideration.
Stakeholders, such as ATA, endorsed the legislation. “Chameleon carriers are a plague on our nation’s highways, putting all motorists at risk and undercutting the vast majority of trucking companies that are responsible and follow the rules,” said Alex Rosen, senior vice president of legislative affairs at ATA. “Safety is a priority for our members, which is why we are grateful for Rep. Hageman’s leadership to strengthen federal safety requirements and oversight.”
“Alongside [U.S. Department of Transportation],” Rosen continued, “we have closed loopholes and removed bad actors from our roads, and we look forward to building on this progress by working with Rep. Hageman and her colleagues to attach this common-sense policy to the next highway bill.” According to background information ATA provided, “chameleon carriers” often continue to use the “same trucks, managers, drivers and addresses while pretending to be a brand-new company.”
The Wyoming Trucking Association said its members invest heavily in safety and end up carrying the costs when operators with poor compliance records evade oversight. The group said the SAFE Act would help prevent those carriers from resurfacing under new identities after enforcement actions.
“By strengthening screening at registration, protecting due process through a clear appeals process and improving data sharing, this bill helps level the playing field for responsible carriers and makes our roads safer for everyone,” Wyoming Trucking Association president and CEO Kevin Hawley said.
House and Senate transportation committees are expected to schedule votes on the multiyear highway reauthorization in the coming months. Federal highway programs are authorized through the end of September. The most recent highway authorization bill was enacted as part of 2021’s Biden-era $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
