Trucking news and briefs for Friday, May 23, 2025:
Anti-fraud bill clears Senate committee
A bill that would bolster the authority of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to assess civil penalties against bad actors among parties to freight transactions, aimed at combating the proliferation of fraudulent activity in freight markets, from double brokering to identity and cargo theft and other schemes, has cleared its first hurdle in the U.S. Senate.
This week, the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation approved the Household Goods Shipping Consumer Protection Act to send it to the full Senate for a vote. While the title highlights consumer protections with HHG shipments, the bill extends beyond that niche and codifies FMCSA’s authority to act against unauthorized brokers and other fraudulent entities.
Key provisions of the bill include:
- Restoration of FMCSA’s authority: Restores FMCSA’s ability to impose those civil penalties, enabling the agency to act swiftly against bad actors.
- Stronger regulatory enforcement: Mandates that companies operating in the household goods sector and elsewhere maintain a legitimate principal place of business, ensuring that companies cannot use P.O. Boxes or other non-physical addresses to skirt regulations.
- Identifying fraudulent practices: Directs FMCSA to analyze trends and commonalities among companies who apply for authority, to identify potentially fraudulent operations before they can cause harm.
- State enforcement and consumer protection: Allows states to use federal funds to enforce consumer protection laws related to household goods transportation.
A House version of the bill has yet to see any action at the committee level.
[Related: Rival Armenian crime syndicates busted in L.A.: DOJ]
Overdrive recognized for Best News Coverage for 2024 freight-fraud-related reporting
Friday, May 16, Overdrive Executive Editor Alex Lockie and Chief Editor Todd Dills were honored by Jesse H. Neal Awards judges with a first-place finish in the awards' Best News Coverage category.
The entry recognized, "'Fraud Apocalypse': Inside the fight against cyber crime in brokered-freight networks," took part of its title this report authored by Lockie in mid-July, charting brokers' increasing insistence on inspections as a condition of doing business with owners, among other ramifications of the explosion of freight bad actors.
Other pieces of the entry:
- When double-broker scammers made off with an Uber Freight load's payment, Overdrive peeled back layers of the onion to reveal brokers' changing vetting practices.
- This analysis of the fraud problem, from brokers' perspectives.
- News of the major "Iluminati" hack of various load-board accounts and a major shipper's freight network.
- And the follow-up, going deeper with victims of the hacks, including an owner-operator who spent a weekend moving short-haul loads, never getting paid.
It was the second straight year Overdrive came out on top in the news category, with a win in 2024 for Lockie's 2023 coverage of predatory tows.
As previously reported, the magazine was a finalist in two other categories this year, Best Series for this deep dive into the impacts of diesel emissions regulations over two decades, and Best Government, Legislative, and Regulatory Coverage for in-depth reporting around trucking’s brokered-freight transparency debate.
New I-17 lanes open north of Phoenix
Drivers traveling on Interstate 17 north of the Phoenix area now have an extra lane in each direction along a 15-mile stretch between Anthem Way and Black Canyon City.
The newly opened lanes are part of the I-17 Improvement Project, which is also building eight miles of flex lanes between Black Canyon City and Sunset Point. In addition to the new lanes, the project is reconstructing 10 bridges and replacing two other bridges throughout the 23-mile corridor to accommodate the wider highway and additional lanes.
I-17 is considered a Key Commerce Corridor that is crucial to Arizona’s travel, tourism and economic development opportunities. The newly widened segment opened recently after a final layer of paving was completed and the final striping was applied.
While the new lanes are open between Anthem Way and Black Canyon City, work continues on the two flex lanes, which run adjacent to the existing southbound lanes between Black Canyon City and Sunset Point, which are expected to open later in 2025.
Montana Trucking Association safety coordinator seeks driver-training regs waiver
William Cole, the safety coordinator for the Montana Trucking Association, has petitioned the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration for an exemption from a provision in the entry-level driver training (ELDT) regulations. Specifically, Cole is seeking an exemption from the requirement that classroom or theory instructors for individuals seeking the hazardous materials (HM) endorsement have at least two years of driving experience of the same or higher class and/or the same endorsement level as the commercial motor vehicle (CMV) for which training is to be provided.
The waiver would allow him to provide HM training while maintaining the highest level of safety and compliance standards, his request said.
In his request, Cole said he was a CMV enforcement officer for 15 years with the state’s Motor Carrier Services agency and is currently the Safety Coordinator for Montana Trucking Association, which provides HM training to motor carriers, conducts FMCSA compliance audits, and assists industry leaders in understanding and implementing HM safety protocols.
He added that he believes his qualifications “exceed the necessary knowledge and instructional standards for ELDT theory training.” He included several credentials in his requests that he holds that he believes show his qualifications:
- CVSA Advanced Hazmat Instructor
- Certified Safety & Health Official (CSHO) - Construction
- Specialist in Safety & Health (SSH) - General Industry
- OSHA Outreach Trainer - Construction
- Member of the ATA Law Enforcement Advisory Board
- Facilitator of the Montana Trucking Association Safety Council
FMCSA is accepting public comments on the request, which can be filed here through June 20.
