Bill would give FMCSA more power to fight freight fraudsters plaguing the trucking industry

Legislation introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives this week seeks to empower federal transportation authorities to fight back against bad actors in the trucking industry.

On April 20, 2026, Rep. Brad Knott announced the introduction of H.R. 8267 the Securing American Freight, Enforcement, and Reliability in Transport Act or the SAFER in Transport Act.

The bill seeks to enhance communication between federal agencies and to empower the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to enforce criminal penalties in order to fight freight fraud and secure the U.S. supply chain.

If passed, the bill would take the following actions:

• Directs the U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) to establish a Freight Fraud and Theft Advisory Committee to identify vulnerabilities and recommend solutions
• Requires a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the USDOT and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to formalize how agencies handle information related to freight fraud
• Modernizes fraud detection systems and expands enforcement tools within the FMCSA, including the creation of criminal penalties for registration fraud tied to unlawful operations.
• Calls for an MOU between FMCSA and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to improve enforcement of cabotage restrictions on foreign carriers.

A companion version of the bill was introduced by Senator Todd Young in February 2026.

Supporters of the SAFER in Transport Act include the American Trucking Associations (ATA), the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA), Retail Industry Leaders Association, and C.H. Robinson.

The SAFER in Transport Act would implement critical steps towards modernization, weed out chameleon carriers, help prevent cargo theft, and enhance oversight and penalties. We applaud Rep. Knott’s leadership to protect hardworking truckers and small businesses that are not equipped to fight large-scale fraud on their own,” said Chris Spear, President and CEO of the ATA.

“The SAFER Transport Act takes critical action to improve motor carrier registration standards, strengthen collaboration between DOT and DOJ, limit operations of foreign dispatch services, and hold fraudulent operators accountable,” said TIA President & CEO Chris Burroughs. “We are grateful to Congressman Knott for his leadership in strengthening supply chain security and promoting safer roads.”  

Knott is also a cosponsor of H.R.2853, the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025, or CORCA Act of 2025.