Dishonest 'Chameleon Carriers' Disregard Truck Safety Regulations by Covertly Changing Names

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      Criminals employ various tactics to commit crimes in the trucking sector. It's rare for a week to pass without news of smugglers transporting illegal goods across state borders, or elaborate ruses issuing fake commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) to unqualified individuals. In terms of safety, some infractions can only be labeled as gross negligence. Nevertheless, some operators persist; a recent exposé by 60 Minutes highlighted “chameleon carriers” that circumvent safety regulations regarding driving hours and substandard equipment simply by changing their business name.

      The findings of the program emerged from an eight-month investigation where reporters interviewed truck drivers both in the U.S. and internationally. The 60 Minutes segment prominently featured Super Ego Holding, a name you might recognize from semi-trailers. This organization comprises a network of commercial trucking and leasing firms within the U.S., with connections to Serbia.

      “Chameleon carriers are essentially a network of businesses that constantly reinvent themselves,” stated Rob Carpenter, a trucking safety consultant, during the 60 Minutes segment. “The concept is, ‘We are profit-driven; we’ll start this trucking firm, run it into the ground, and maximize our earnings.’”

      Carpenter elaborated, “When you move on to the next, you’re really trying to shed the history associated with the previous trucking company due to poor performance over the past year, right? Then you simply take on a new identity and transition to a new carrier.”

      By altering all identifying details of a truck, such as the freight operator name and Department of Transportation (DOT) number, they essentially create a brand new vehicle—at least in the eyes of regulatory bodies. Carpenter pointed out that starting a new company can be done “from anywhere in the world. For $1,000, pay online, claim to be who you say you are, and you’ve set up a trucking company.”

      60 Minutes engaged with seven drivers who had worked with Super Ego Holding. One driver, Daniel Sanchez, described the environment as nearly dystopian. “They’d send me out to do anything for the money, regardless of the risk,” Sanchez said. “They didn’t care if I received a violation or went to jail for any reason. The next day, there’d be another driver in that truck, and things would just keep rolling.”

      Sanchez recounted an experience in which he claims Super Ego instructed him to remove identifying markers from his truck. “They’d email or send some documentation with a new name and DOT number picture,” he mentioned. “They’d have me print it out, get some duct tape, and put it on the truck.”

      The situation escalated from there. Sanchez reported that when he reached the mandated 11-hour driving limit, managers based in Serbia would often illegally reset the federally required clocks so he could continue driving towards his delivery location. This presents an apparent risk to the involved drivers and everyone else on the road.

      Overall, the 60 Minutes report painted a bleak picture of Super Ego Holding, which later characterized the report as “misleading” in a statement to the Serbian Times. In its defense, Super Ego asserts it is “an equipment leasing company, not a carrier company,” contending that all allegations regarding manipulated driver clocks, DOT numbers, and compensation are “false.”

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