Trucking news and briefs for Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026:
- More legislation aims at chameleon carriers.
- Do you drive for the “Best Fleet” in the nation? Nominate them now.
- Peterbilts recalled for brakes issue.
New REVOKE Act looks to give feds new ways to fight chameleon carriers
Legislation to help federal regulators combat chameleon carriers was introduced last week in the U.S. House of Representatives.
Known as the “Registration Enforcement for Vehicle Operations of Known Evaders (REVOKE) Act,” the bill would strengthen the authority of the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration to prevent chameleon carriers from exploiting USDOT registration systems to illegally operate. The bill was introduced by Reps. Dave Taylor (R-Ohio) and Shomari Figures (D-Alabama).
If passed, it would change text of the federal regulations around USDOT registration to read that only an employer or person with an “active USDOT number” is permitted to operate a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce. Currently, the word “active” is not in the regulation.
Additionally, the bill would restrict the Transportation Secretary to issuing an active USDOT number only if the Secretary “determines that the employer or person meets all of the requirements for registration.”
The Secretary would also be given the authority to make USDOT numbers inactive if the employer or person “does not have any valid registration issued” under the regulation, or if they “failed to make any periodic update required by the Secretary.” (The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration appears to already have the latter authority with respect to the required biennial MCS-150 update, given in June it suspended company inactivations due to lack of a periodic update as glitches became apparent in the new Motus registration system.)
[Related: FMCSA cleaning up Motus mess one carrier at a time]
“For too long, chameleon carriers have exploited gaps in federal enforcement to evade accountability and jeopardize countless American lives,” said Rep. 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.”
The chameleon carrier term was coined coined and trademarked by Fusable's Central Analysis Bureau (CAB) firm more than a decade ago. It got more prominent currency early in year when the 60 Minutes reporting team aired a series detailed the smoke and mirrors game played by many such carriers, with an emphasis on the Super Ego network.
The new bill received early support from the American Trucking Associations, who said the legislation “would enhance FMCSA’s enforcement actions by cracking down on carriers seeking to operate under inactive USDOT numbers.”
Separate legislation aimed at similar issues -- the SAFE Act -- was introduced earlier this year and would require FMCSA to “conduct a study on chameleon carriers in the United States and plan, develop, and test an advanced automation tool to help enforcement personnel detect chameleon carrier applications under the registration process of the Department of Transportation.”
[Related: How troopers tackle remote ELD manipulation, 'chameleon' operations]
‘Best Fleets’ program’s nominations period opens
The annual Best Fleets to Drive For program, produced by CarriersEdge, has opened nominations for its 2027 contest, beginning the search for for-hire carriers providing the industry's strongest workplace experiences for company drivers and independent contractors.
Company drivers and independent contractors have until Oct. 31 to nominate the fleet they currently work with. One nomination is all that's required for an eligible fleet to participate.
“Fleets have spent the last several years finding ways to support drivers while operating under tremendous cost pressure, and now there are signs that the market is changing again,” said Jane Jazrawy, CEO of CarriersEdge. “Providing a great workplace is a smart business plan in any market and the fleets that have focused on building a strong culture are best positioned to take advantage regardless of what future market changes bring.”
Now entering its 19th year, Best Fleets to Drive For is dedicated to identifying the best workplaces in the North American trucking industry, CarriersEdge said. Since 2014, nearly 1,700 fleet nominations have been submitted to the program, while more than 76,000 driver surveys have been completed since 2015.
The program is open to for-hire fleets operating at least 10 tractor-trailers in the United States or Canada. There is no cost to participate and no association membership requirement.
For fleets, participation provides more than an opportunity for recognition. The evaluation offers a structured way to benchmark driver programs, compare practices with industry leaders, gather feedback from drivers and identify opportunities for improvement.
“Best Fleets has always been about recognizing great workplaces, but participation also gives fleets an opportunity to look closely at what they're doing for drivers and where they can improve,” Jazrawy added. “After 19 years, we've seen fleets use the program year after year as a benchmark for strengthening their programs. The ideas we uncover also help move the whole industry forward.”
Nominated fleets that choose to participate complete a detailed questionnaire and interview examining areas including compensation and benefits, HR strategies, professional development, operations, communication, work/life balance and other elements of the driver experience.
Drivers and independent contractors at participating fleets are also surveyed about their experience with the company. Those responses are combined with the fleet evaluation and performance measures including safety and driver retention to determine the year's highest-performing fleets.
The Top 20 Best Fleets to Drive For, Fleets to Watch and qualifying Hall of Fame fleets will receive recognition through the program. Overall winners in the small-fleet, large-fleet and Hall of Fame categories will be honored at the Best Fleets to Drive For Education & Awards Conference, April 5-6, 2027, in Kansas City, Missouri.
[Related: K&J Trucking repeats as top overall 'Best Fleet']
Delayed brake timing prompts vocational Peterbilt recall
Paccar is recalling approximately 58 model year 2027 Peterbilt 548 trucks -- a vocational model often upfitted for snowplow, crane, bucket/boom and other applications -- over an issue that can cause delayed brakes application.
According to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration documents, the front brake valve and hoses may be the incorrect size, which can delay the rear service brake application and release, as well as the trailer gladhand application times. As such, these vehicles fail to comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard number 121, "Air Brake Systems."
Dealers will replace the front brake valves and hoses, free of charge. Owner notification letters are expected to be mailed Oct. 31. Owners can contact Peterbilt's customer service at 940- 591-4220 with recall number 26PACF. NHTSA’s recall number is 26V-567.
