03/07/2026
FMCSA Head Says "We're Going to Bite Off More Than We Can Chew," Calling Chameleon Carriers — Trucking Companies That Reopen Under New Names After Fatal Crashes — a Top Priority
ORLANDO, FLORIDA — The head of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration said cracking down on so-called "chameleon carriers" — trucking companies that shut down after fatal crashes and reopen under new names — is among the agency's top priorities, following an investigative report that exposed systemic failures allowing unsafe carriers to remain on the road.
FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs made the comments during an exclusive interview at the Truckload Carriers Association conference in Orlando, responding to the "Blind Spots" investigation conducted by 10 Tampa Bay News investigative reporter Jennifer Titus and WFAA senior investigative reporter Tanya Eiserer. The two journalists spent a year tracking a troubling pattern, identifying companies in Wyoming, Texas, and Florida that closed after fatal crashes and resurfaced under different names — in several cases using the same trucks, the same drivers, and even the same leadership.
"It's a lot of things we're working on right now," Barrs said. "The chameleon carrier piece is something we're working hard on right now."
The investigation also found that the federal carrier registration system relies heavily on self-reported information and limited data analytics, creating potential gaps that allow repeat offenders to evade scrutiny. Those weaknesses, combined with a backlog of required safety audits, can delay oversight meant to flag unsafe carriers before they return to the road.
When asked whether the agency has enough investigators to complete the audits, Barrs pointed to current staffing levels. "We have the right people. We have employees. We have 340-ish investigators. We rely a lot on our state partners to do this," he said. Pressed further, Barrs added, "We can always work. We are going to continue to do more. We are going to bite off more than we can chew, but we will keep chewing."
Barrs also emphasized the agency's commitment to pursuing unsafe operators broadly. "We're going to continue to go after bad actors and our message is to be clear — whether it's entry-level training, carriers not doing the right things — we're going to go after them," he said. He did not provide a specific timeline for changes related to chameleon carrier enforcement.
The issue has gained traction in Congress as well. Just ten days after "Blind Spots" debuted, U.S. Representative Harriet Hageman filed the Safety and Accountability in Freight Enforcement Act — known as the SAFE Act — directing federal regulators to study the extent of chameleon carriers nationwide and develop new technology to stop them from resurfacing under new names. In late February, Indiana Senator Jim Banks also called on federal authorities to investigate the issue, following several serious crashes in the state involving truck drivers who were not U.S. citizens.
