U.S. Sen. Todd Young (R-Ind.) recently introduced legislation to strengthen federal efforts to prevent, detect, and punish freight fraud and cargo theft. 

The legislation is known as the Securing American Freight, Enforcement, and Reliability in Transport Act, or the SAFER Transport Act. 

It would strengthen commercial driver’s license issuance requirements, mandate monthly state reporting on CDLs, enhance oversight of CDL training providers, and prevent unauthorized drivers from transporting domestic cargo. 

“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,” said Young, who is chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Freight, Pipelines, and Safety.

Multiple trucking groups have come out in support of the legislation. 

“Small businesses are not equipped to fight large-scale fraud on their own, which is why it is so critical to implement Sen. Young’s commonsense reforms that modernize USDOT’s systems to weed out chameleon carriers and enhance oversight and penalties,” said Chris Spear, president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations. 

“OOIDA appreciates Chairman Young’s leadership in introducing the SAFER Transport Act, which addresses many of the regulatory shortcomings that have allowed fraudsters, chameleon carriers, unvetted and underqualified drivers, and sham training schools to proliferate,” said Lewie Pugh, executive vice president of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association.