Young Introduces Bill to Protect American Roads and Supply Chains
WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Todd Young (R-Ind.), Chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Surface Transportation, Freight, Pipelines, and Safety,introduced the Securing American Freight, Enforcement, and Reliability in(SAFER) Transport Act, or the SAFER Transport Act, comprehensive legislation to address ongoing issues negatively impacting U.S. freight and highways, improve roadway safety for Americans, and protect our national security.
“Americans deserve safe and reliable supply chains and roads,” said Young. “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. ”
Cargo theft in the United States is at a record-high, driven by both domestic and international organizations. These groups are using increasingly sophisticated, fraudulent tactics such as fictitious pickups, double brokering scams, and hostage loads to steal shipments without detection. Despite these rising threats, prosecutorial standards are inconsistent across states and localities, leading to a lack of enforcement, misclassification of crimes, and chronic underreporting. The SAFER Transport Act would strengthen federal efforts to prevent, detect, and punish freight fraud and cargo theft across our transportation ecosystem.
Simultaneously, a recent audit by the Department of Transportation (DOT) revealed widespread negligence of states that were illegally issuing non-domiciled CDLs and uncovered glaring compliance failures in several states, including Illinois, California, and New York. This noncompliance, paired with the influx of illegal immigration under the Biden Administration, have led to a tragic increase in American deaths. The SAFER Transport Act would put American safety first by strengthening CDL issuance requirements, mandating monthly state reporting on CDLs, enhancing oversight of CDL training providers through audits and disclosure requirements, and preventing unauthorized drivers from transporting domestic cargo.
Young has previously led efforts to address the rise in cargo theft, includingchairing a Commerce Committee hearing focused on potential solutions to this crime and cosponsoring the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA) of 2025. Young also has long supported strengthening guardrails around CDL requirements to improve the safety of our roads.
Full text of the SAFER Transport Act can be found here.
The SAFER Transport Act 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).
Below are quotes from supportive organizations:
“The Airforwarders Association strongly supports Senator Young’s legislation to combat freight fraud and cargo theft. Supply chain fraud increasingly targets multimodal logistics networks, including air cargo intermediaries, and requires coordinated federal action. This legislation appropriately strengthens interagency coordination, improves registration integrity, and enhances tools to detect and prevent fraudulent actors in the transportation system. AfA particularly supports efforts to modernize and secure the registration system and improve collaboration between the Department of Transportation and the Department of Justice. We appreciate Senator Young’s leadership and look forward to working with his office and coalition partners to ensure effective implementation across all transportation modes,” said Airforwarders Association Executive Director Brandon Fried.
“Over 90% 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,” said ATA President & CEO Chris Spear. “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. We are grateful for his willingness to listen to the voices of hardworking truckers.”
“Transparency and accountability are essential to restoring integrity in the commercial driver’s license system,” said CVTA Chairman Jeff Burkhardt.“Requiring monthly state reporting on CDL and CLP issuance will give policymakers and industry real visibility into trends and potential vulnerabilities. While FMCSA has taken important steps to enhance ELDT oversight, codifying a structured, mandatory audit regime into statute will provide consistency and durability across future administrations and ensure that only qualified training providers remain on the Training Provider Registry. Just as important, empowering interested state agencies to remove bad actors and requiring timely resolution of complaints sends a clear message that fraud and noncompliance will not be tolerated. These reforms protect students, support reputable schools, and ultimately make our roadways safer.”
“Indiana’s predominantly family-owned trucking companies are locked in a rapidly escalating arms race against high-tech thieves,” said Indiana Motor Truck Association President Gary Langston. “Identity theft and cargo heists have become an epidemic, and the outdated USDOT system has left the back door wide open for criminals to target motor carriers. We thank Senator Young for introducing this legislation that will help eliminate vulnerabilities related to registration, CDL issuance, and training and finally give our industry the backup it needs to fight fraud. These reforms will protect Indiana trucking fleets and the hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers they employ.”
“The small business truckers and owner-operators OOIDA represents are particularly vulnerable to fraud, which has unfortunately become widespread in our industry and increasingly sophisticated. Falling victim to even a single scam can cost one of our members their entire livelihood. That’s why 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. The SAFER Transport Act is a major step towards weeding out the bad actors in our industry who make our roads less safe. We will continue working with Chairman Young and his colleagues to make the trucking industry more professional and America’s roads safer for everyone,” said OOIDA Executive Vice President Lewie Pugh.
“RILA appreciates Senator Young’s leadership in advancing efforts to strengthen supply chain security and by addressing freight fraud and theft. We are supportive of his continued work to develop thoughtful, complementary solutions that reinforce federal coordination and protect the integrity of the transportation system,” said RILA Senior Director of Government Affairs Sarah Gilmore.
“The Truck Renting and Leasing Association applauds Senator Young for this much-needed legislation. The trucking industry has been deluged with fraud and theft, costing companies and in turn consumers, billions in losses annually,” said TRALA President & CEO Jake Jacoby. “This bill strengthens regulatory oversight and fraud detection, enhances oversight, improves law enforcement coordination, and increases penalties to help curb the abuse impacting our industry.”
“Cargo theft is an increasingly sophisticated crime that exploits gaps in our regulatory and enforcement systems,” said TIA President & CEO Chris Burroughs. “The SAFER Transport Act takes important steps to strengthen motor carrier registration standards, enhance coordination between DOT and DOJ, and increase accountability for fraudulent actors. By closing vulnerabilities in the supply chain and improving driver training safeguards, it helps protect legitimate brokers, carriers, and the consumers who ultimately bear the cost of these crimes. We appreciate Senator Young’s leadership in advancing practical solutions to enhance supply chain security and roadway safety.”