The federal government should electronically screen trucking companies’ data to find potential reincarnated carriers when they apply, and then investigate those applicants, according to a new Government Accountability Office report.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration could use a “risk-based” approach to automatically find carriers that are likely to be older carriers trying to evade penalties, and review those applications to see if they are reincarnated — or “chameleon” carriers — GAO wrote.
“Preventing chameleon motor carriers from operating under a new identity is important because they present significant safety risks to the motoring public,” the report said.
FMCSA currently investigates every new bus company and household goods mover to find reincarnated carriers, GAO said. The agency lacks the resource to use this vetting process for all trucking companies, as they represent 98% of the carriers applying for operating authority.
If FMCSA automatically screened for reincarnated carriers by comparing application data to data from older carriers, it could concentrate its resources on companies with the highest risks.
The agency declined to comment to Transport Topics. A spokeswoman said the agency is reviewing the findings and recommendations.
“Targeting could reduce the population of carriers to be vetted to a manageable number,” the report said.
FMCSA could also crack down on reincarnated carriers by improving the safety audits it conducts on new carriers and by using a single standard for proving that a carrier is a reincarnation.
