Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026:
- Next stop, highway bill? “Chameleon carriers” in Congress’ crosshairs with new legislation.
- Big Western Star recall for battery issue expanded to 27K trucks.
- Own a newer-model VNL? It may need parking-brake work.
- Love’s adds 100-plus truck parking spaces with new location.
Legislation takes aim at ‘chameleon carriers’
A new bill in Congress looks to get at the root of the problem of “chameleon carriers” and prevent entities from being able to re-register to avoid safety- and insurance-related issues.
Rep. Harriet Hageman (R-Wyoming) introduced the Safety and Accountability in Freight Enforcement (SAFE) Act on Feb. 12.
The text of the bill is not yet available, but the legislation’s docket notes it would:
- Direct the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to conduct a study of the chameleon carrier problem.
- Require FMCSA “plan, develop, and test an advanced automation tool to help enforcement personnel detect chameleon carrier applications” under the Department of Transportation’s registration process.
“Chameleon” or “reincarnated” carriers and/or brokers obtain authority over and over in attempts to outrun safety-record and/or insurance/bonding issues. It's an issue that's been on FMCSA's radar for well more than a decade. FMCSA recently launched an investigation into what it said was just a network of entities following a fatal crash involving an "illegal alien" employed by one of the carriers.
Hageman’s bill was referred to the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. It currently has no co-sponsors.
The American Trucking Associations has voiced support for the legislation, and noted its next stop could be inclusion in a highway funding package due this year with the expiration of the last Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
ATA SVP of Legislative Affairs Alex Rosen noted progress at FMCSA strengthening its registration system, and that the association looked “forward to building on this progress by working with Rep. Hageman and her colleagues to attach this commonsense policy to the next Highway Bill,” he said. "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,”
[Related: FMCSA investigating chameleon carrier network after deadly Indiana crash]
27K Western Stars recalled for potential battery issue
Daimler Trucks North America is recalling nearly 27,000 Western Star trucks for an issue related to the trucks’ batteries that could potentially result in a fire, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents.
The recall affects approximately 26,958 model year 2020-’27 Western Star 49X and 2021-’27 47X units. In those trucks, a stud connecting the battery to the starter at the frame rail may have been incorrectly installed or may corrode, which can cause a short circuit. A short circuit increases the risk of fire.
DTNA issued a similar recall last year for more than 21,000 49X and 47X trucks.
“In early January 2026, DTNA received a report of a thermal event on a vehicle registered in New York that had the recall remedy performed,” recall documents state. “The report described corrosion was present, which resulted in an arced cable that melted the vehicle’s frame rail. "
Later that same month, DTNA got additional reports indicating the presence of corrosion at the junction point stud on vehicles "that had the recall remedy performed, one of which involved a thermal event and two which indicated the presence of smoke.”
The recall added that DTNA also reviewed “warranty claims which identified additional vehicles where the junction point stud failed after the remedy was performed, involving the presence of corrosion and without any thermal events.”
Based on information available, “DTNA’s analysis indicated that the junction point stud remained susceptible to accelerated corrosion,” leading to this second recall.
The remedy is currently under development. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 11. Owners can contact DTNA customer service at 800-547-0712 with recall number F1029. NHTSA’s recall number is 26V-079. This recall replaces and expands the previous recall. Vehicles already repaired under the previous recall will need to have the new remedy completed when it’s available.
[Related: Battery issue, fire potential prompt recall of 21K Western Stars]
800 Volvo VNLs recalled for parking brake issue
Volvo Trucks North America is recalling approximately 800 model year 2024-‘27 VNL trucks that do not include auxiliary parking brakes.
In the affected trucks, if the vehicle is in weight bias mode, there may not be enough weight on the parking brake axle, which could result in inadequate parking brake force. in that even, a rollaway could result, increasing the risk of a crash.
Dealers will replace the brake chambers in the affected trucks, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed April 10. Owners can contact Volvo Trucks' customer service at 800-528-6586 with recall number RVXX2601. NHTSA’s recall number is 26V-076.
New Love’s adds 125 truck parking spaces in Louisiana
Love’s Travel Stops has opened a new location in Mandeville, Louisiana, that adds 125 truck parking spaces to its network.
It may come as good news to the truckers who flagged the state of Louisiana as second worst in the nation when it comes to roads and parking-infrastructure upkeep as part of Overdrive's 2025 Truckers' Highway Report Card. (15% of those highway users named parking availability as among chief reasons for their vote for Louisiana as worst.)
The new Love's is located along I-12 at exit 68. In addition to the new parking spots, it offers eight diesel bays, nine bobtail spaces, seven showers and plenty more.
Truckers themselves can also fuel up with Love’s fresh food items, a Godfather’s Pizza and Hardee’s restaurants also at the location.
