A bi-partisan bill has been introduced in the House that would help crack down on the problem of so called chameleon carriers.
Congressman Dave Taylor, a Re[public an from Ohio, and Congressman Shomari Figures an Alabama Democrat, Friday introduced the Registration Enforcement for Vehicle Operations of Known Evaders (REVOKE) Act, which they say will strengthen Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration and the Department of Transportation authority to prevent chameleon carriers from exploiting USDOT registration systems to illegally operate on American roads.
A chameleon -- or reincarnated -- carrier is a trucking company that shuts down after accumulating safety violations or accidents and then reopens under a new name, address, or USDOT number to hide its past.
“For too long, chameleon carriers have exploited gaps in federal enforcement to evade accountability and jeopardize countless American lives,” said Taylor. “Every commercial vehicle on our nation’s highways should be operated by a driver who is following the rules, not a bad actor hiding behind inactive or illegitimate USDOT numbers.
"The REVOKE Act will give the Department of Transportation the tools it needs to shut down this dangerous practice, keep unqualified and unsafe operators off American roads, and prevent needless tragedies caused by reckless and unqualified CDL drivers.”
Specifically, this bill:
- Affirms that a carrier’s USDOT number must be active in order for them to legally operate on American roadways;
- Clarifies that the Secretary of Transportation will only issue an active USDOT number to an individual or employer once determining that all requirements for registration are met;
- Grants the Secretary of Transportation authority to immediately inactivate the USDOT number of an individual or employer if they do not have valid registration, or if they fail to make any required periodic updates to the Secretary.
Congressmen Taylor and Figures serve on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and are founding Co-Chairs of the Congressional Trucking Caucus.
The full bill text for the REVOKE Act is available here.
