I.S. Senator Young introduces bill to protect American roads and supply chains

Thursday, 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, including chairing 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.”