The American Trucking Associations recently praised Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) for introducing legislation to reduce freight fraud and theft, strengthen regulatory oversight, prevent unlawful operations, and enhance enforcement across the commercial motor carrier industry.
The Securing American Freight, Enforcement, and Reliability in Transport (SAFER Transport) Act represents a direct response to issues that were raised during a Senate Commerce Subcommittee hearing that Senator Young chaired last year on rising incidents of cargo theft. Testifying on behalf of ATA, an owner of a trucking small business described how his company’s identity was stolen by technologically advanced criminals, who used that information to divert and steal loads, according to a statement from the ATA. The thieves took advantage of weaknesses in FMCSA’s Safety and Fitness Electronic Records (SAFER) System to perpetrate their crime.
The SAFER Transport Act calls for:
- Modernizing and securing FMCSA’s registration system
- Phasing out outdated MC numbers in favor of USDOT numbers
- Strengthening fraud detection and enforcement tools
- Enhancing oversight of CDL issuance and training providers
- Increasing criminal penalties for fraudulent certifications
- Improving interagency coordination on freight theft and cabotage enforcement
- Closing regulatory loopholes involving foreign dispatch services
“Over 90% of trucking fleets operate 10 trucks or fewer, and each one embodies the American Dream. Motor carriers spend years building their reputations, but ruthless and sophisticated criminals are actively exploiting loopholes in USDOT’s registration process to steal their identities, capitalize on their good names, and commit cargo theft,” said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. “Small businesses are not equipped to fight large-scale fraud on their own, which is why it is so critical to implement Senator Young’s commonsense reforms that modernize USDOT’s systems to weed out chameleon carriers and enhance oversight and penalties.”
Cargo theft is becoming increasingly prevalent and high-tech, and it often originates overseas. The American Transportation Research Institute calculated that cargo theft is costing the trucking industry over $18 million per day. Strategic theft, a category of crime that uses cyber fraud and identity manipulation to divert freight, has surged by 1,500% since 2021 according to CargoNet.
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