U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-IN) introduced legislation last week to address issues affecting American freight systems and highways.
Young, the chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Freight, Pipelines, and Safety, introduced the Securing American Freight, Enforcement, and Reliability in (SAFER) Transport Act, that would strengthen federal efforts to prevent, detect, and punish freight fraud and cargo theft throughout the transportation and supply chain ecosystems.
“Americans deserve safe and reliable supply chains and roads,” Young said. “The SAFER Transport Act takes important steps to strengthen our transportation infrastructure, combat crime that is hurting U.S. consumers and businesses, and ensure our roads are safe for all Americans. ”
Young said cargo theft is at a record-high in the United States driven by both domestic and international organizations. Groups using sophisticated tactics like fictitious pickups, double brokering scams, and hostage loads are able to steal shipments, sometimes without detection. However, he said, prosecutorial standards are not consistent across the country leading to a lack of enforcement, misclassification of crimes, and chronic underreporting.
The legislation also addresses states issuing non-domiciled commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs) to unqualified drivers. The legislation would require states to report CDL issuance monthly, while enhancing oversight of CDL training providers.
The legislation is supported by Airforwarders Association, American Trucking Associations (ATA), Commercial Vehicle Training Association (CVTA), Indiana Motor Truck Association, Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association (OOIDA), Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA), and Truck Renting and Leasing Association (TRALA).
“Over 90 percent of trucking fleets operate 10 trucks or fewer, and each one represents the embodiment of the American Dream. Motor carriers spend years building their reputations, but ruthless and sophisticated criminals are actively exploiting loopholes in USDOT’s registration process to steal their identities, capitalize on their good names, and commit cargo theft,” ATA president & CEO Chris Spear said. “Small businesses are not equipped to fight large-scale fraud on their own, which is why it is so critical to implement Senator Young’s commonsense reforms that modernize USDOT’s systems to weed out chameleon carriers and enhance oversight and penalties.”