Trucking Safety System and DOT Registration Process
According to a CBS 60 Minutes investigation, commercial trucking companies can be registered with the U.S. Department of Transportation for $1,000 and within 21 days, with no American ownership requirement. The investigation found that when companies accumulate safety violations or crashes, they can obtain a new DOT number, after which their previous enforcement history is no longer displayed in public records.
The CBS 60 Minutes investigation, completed in April 2026 after eight months of reporting, examined commercial trucking and leasing companies including those in the Super Ego Holding network, which operates from Serbia and the United States. The network is currently under federal investigation and named in a class action lawsuit. According to the CBS investigation, trucking safety consultant Rob Carpenter, who spent 25 years as a trucker, estimates that between 10% and 20% of the roughly 700,000 trucking companies in the United States change their DOT numbers after accumulating safety violations.
According to federal data cited in the CBS report, more than 5,300 truck-related deaths occurred in 2024, an average of 14 people killed every day. The investigation found that there is no systematic way to trace whether responsible companies had prior violations under previous identities. The class action lawsuit against Super Ego Holding is noted as a rare case in which legal accountability proceeded despite the company's dissolution and reformation. According to the investigation, most families pursuing lawsuits related to crashes find themselves suing companies that no longer exist on paper, with previous safety records no longer available in public databases.
According to the CBS investigation, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has established enforcement rules but lacks the capacity to track companies across identity changes. Regulations mandate electronic logging devices to track driver hours, random drug and alcohol testing through a national clearinghouse, regular vehicle inspections, and commercial driver's licenses verified by medical examination. The investigation found that enforcement depends largely on roadside inspections that vary by region and inspector. When a company obtains a new DOT number, electronic systems begin with no prior data. Previous crashes, maintenance violations, and hours-of-service infractions are no longer displayed in public safety ratings.
According to the CBS investigation, FMCSA Administrator Barrs participated in the investigation and shared information about the regulatory process. The report states that federal oversight cannot track companies across identity changes. According to the CBS report, Carpenter's independent tracking work documents connections between dissolved companies and subsequent operations under new DOT numbers. The investigation found that these networks often operate from Eastern Europe, India, and Central Asia, and that American trucking companies require no American ownership.
According to Carpenter's data cited in the CBS investigation, the number of companies changing DOT numbers increased starting in 2020. The investigation notes that supply chain pressure during the pandemic created demand for freight capacity. According to federal transportation data, the trucking industry moves more than 70% of the nation's freight. The investigation found that the registration system allows networks to establish multiple subsidiary companies, each with a clean safety record.
According to the CBS investigation, violations that disappear when companies change DOT numbers include poor vehicle maintenance, drivers exceeding hours-of-service limits, and drug and alcohol use. The investigation found that some companies pay FMCSA fines and continue operations until obtaining a new DOT number, while others skip regular vehicle inspections, use substandard parts, hire drivers without proper vetting, or use unauthorized devices to create records.
According to the CBS report, the Super Ego investigation revealed operations across international borders with minimal physical presence in the United States. The report states that FMCSA can mandate electronic logging devices but cannot prevent a company from obtaining a new DOT number. The investigation notes that the drug and alcohol clearinghouse database only tracks violations tied to current company identities, and that roadside inspection rates mean most trucks operate for extended periods between inspections.
According to the CBS investigation, no federal legislation currently addresses the ability to obtain a new DOT number and have previous enforcement history removed from public records. The investigation found that the system treats each DOT registration as a new entity with no record of prior operations. According to the CBS report, Carpenter's tracking work demonstrates that connecting these identities is possible with sufficient time and resources, but FMCSA has not built this capacity into its official oversight structure.
The investigation concluded this month. According to the CBS report, the issue has existed for years but increased significantly since 2020.
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