TXTA backs plan to combat trucking fraud, enhance safety
Key Highlights
- The plan targets vulnerabilities such as CDL integrity, safety data system flaws, border workforce issues, and hours-of-service fraud to create a safer trucking environment.
- Most proposed solutions are technology-based, including AI analysis, integrated databases, and verification systems, requiring no lengthy legislative processes.
- Industry leaders emphasize that these reforms will level the playing field, protect jobs, and improve safety for professional drivers and the public.
- Federal enforcement actions, like cracking down on foreign licenses and non-domiciled CDLs, support the initiative's goals for stricter accountability.
The Texas Trucking Association (TXTA) recently joined forces with a broad group of state and national trucking associations from across the country in support of a comprehensive policy blueprint to eliminate bad actors who exploit regulatory gaps, undermine safety, and create unfair competitive advantages in the commercial trucking industry.
The action plan, The Fight for Fairness and Safety: Paving the Way for a Trucking Resurgence, addresses seven critical areas where fraudulent and illegal operators undercut law-abiding businesses, endanger public safety, and damage the reputation and morale of America's professional truck drivers.
The Trucking Association Executive Council (TAEC), which developed the action plan through a special task force, is comprised of trucking leaders from coast to coast. The initiative comes as the trucking industry nationwide and in Texas faces daunting freight demand, frivolous attacks from plaintiff’s trial lawyers, and unfair competition from illegal operators who manipulate licensing systems, engage in freight fraud, tamper with safety records, and operate outside legal boundaries.
“This isn't about adding red tape—it’s about using smart technology to level the playing field,” John D. Esparza, TXTA president, said in a news release. “When carriers and drivers who follow safety rules and invest in driver training compete against operators who cut every corner, the bad guys win and everyone else loses.
“These reforms protect American jobs and save lives.”
The Trucking Resurgence action plan identifies seven major vulnerabilities that bad actors exploit:
- CDL integrity: Closing loopholes in commercial driver licensing
- MCMIS overhaul: Fixing America’s broken trucking safety data system
- Cross-border integrity: Assuring workforce integrity at our borders
- Non-domiciled CDL reform: Strengthening oversight and enforcement
- English-language proficiency: Closing critical CDL safety gaps
- Combating trucking fraud: Addressing broker and carrier fraud schemes
- Electronic log integrity: Ending ELD manipulation and hours-of-service fraud
The report emphasizes that most of the solutions are immediately actionable and do not require long, drawn-out legislation or rule makings. Most involve technology-driven solutions, including AI-powered data analysis to detect fraudulent patterns, integrated databases to prevent operator schemes, and enhanced verification systems to ensure regulatory compliance. These reforms would not create new burdens for legitimate operators but would leverage existing data more effectively to identify and eliminate bad actors, TXTA reported.
“TXTA represents the safest and most reliable fleets in the state, but we cannot compete with those who simply don’t follow the laws,” said Kevin Mathews, TXTA chairman and GenOx Transportation president and CEO. “It not only compromises highway safety, but it is also demoralizing to our professional drivers who are on the roads everyday doing the right things and moving this state.
“We have a duty to fight for them, and this action plan will level the playing field.”
State officials back national crackdown
The report builds on recent federal actions, including Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy’s order strictly enforcing English-language proficiency requirements that resulted in more than 5,000 drivers being placed out-of-service for safety violations, and another order cracking down on the issuance of non-domiciled CDLs, many of which were issued improperly or illegally. The TAEC recommendations would extend similar accountability measures across all identified problem areas.
In a statement, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) agreed. “I applaud the steps Secretary Duffy has taken to step up enforcement against fraudulent licenses from Mexico, especially after a series of fatal crashes caused by foreign truck drivers who should have never been behind the wheel in the first place,” Cruz said. “We must crack down on illegal drivers and licenses to keep Texas roads safe.”
The trucking industry in Texas represents 833,790 jobs and 82% of communities exclusively depend on trucking to move their goods, TXTA added. This network in Texas along with the TAEC task force that developed these recommendations brings extraordinary depth of experience to this work.
“Truckers keep our country and state’s economy moving,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said. “When bad actors exploit and undermine the safety of the hard-working men and women of the trucking industry, the integrity of our economy and the safety of our communities is severely undermined. Texas has implemented steps to ensure trucking operations comply with traffic laws, follow safety directions, and prevent accidents by strictly enforcing English language proficiency requirements. This Trucking Association plan takes necessary steps to safeguard the lives of Texans and keep our economy growing. Together, we will work to keep our roadways safe and secure.”