Washington—The American Trucking Associations today expressed support for the Registration Enforcement for Vehicle Operations of Known Evaders (REVOKE) Act.
The REVOKE Act was introduced by Congressmen Dave Taylor (R-OH) and Shomari Figures (D-AL), the founding Co-Chairs of the Congressional Trucking Caucus. Their legislation would strengthen U.S. Department of Transportation authority to prevent chameleon carriers from exploiting registration systems to illegally operate on American roads.
Chameleon carriers are high-risk trucking companies that are shut down and reopen under different identities—rotating through names, ownership structures, or USDOT registration numbers—to avoid penalties, enforcement actions, insurance consequences, and public scrutiny. They often continue using the same trucks, managers, drivers, and addresses while pretending to be a brand-new company.
“Chameleon carriers evade federal oversight by cycling through new registrations, putting everyone at risk. The trucking industry is committed to maintaining the highest safety standards on America’s highways, which is why we appreciate FMCSA’s ongoing efforts to identify and remove bad actors who attempt to circumvent the rules,” said ATA SVP of Legislative Affairs Alex Rosen. “The REVOKE Act would enhance FMCSA’s enforcement actions by cracking down on carriers seeking to operate under inactive USDOT numbers. ATA applauds Reps. Taylor and Figures for introducing this legislation to strengthen the integrity of our nation’s motor carrier safety framework.”
Specifically, the REVOKE Act:
- 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; and
- 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.