Trucking fleets shed old identities in scheme to evade federal enforcement | 60 Minutes
In a Nutshell
Chameleon carriers, networks of often foreign-owned trucking companies like Serbia-based Super Ego Holding, evade U.S. federal safety regulations by frequently changing names and DOT numbers to erase thousands of violations, poor maintenance, and accidents—making them four times more crash-prone and contributing to over 5,300 truck-related deaths in 2024. These schemes exploit drivers through lease scams, pay skimming, illegal clock resets for excessive hours, and duct-taped rebranding, as revealed by whistleblowers, former employees, and a class-action lawsuit from over 800 truckers. The FMCSA struggles with oversight of 700,000 carriers using outdated systems but is prioritizing investigations into top offenders like Super Ego.
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Eight-month investigation into chameleon carriers: commercial trucking fleets, often foreign-owned and operated, that shed one identity for another after racking up safety violations and flouting federal regulations. Investigation took place at truck stops in Florida and with sources in Europe. Focused on Super Ego Holding, a network of commercial trucking and leasing companies based in Serbia and the US. Currently under federal investigation and named in a class action lawsuit. Regulators and former employees call it one of the most notorious chameleon schemes, a ticking time bomb on roadways.
Chameleon carriers are basically a network of companies and they constantly reincarnate. And the idea is we are revenue focused. We are going to start this trucking company. We are going to run it into the ground just make as much money as we possibly can.
Rob Carpenter, trucker for 25 years, now trucking safety consultant, tracks chameleon companies which surged since the pandemic. Chameleon carriers skirt federal regulations and escape bad safety records by changing company names to evade detection.
And when you move on to the next, you're really doing that to try to abandon the history that you've created with that other trucking company because you've run so poorly in the past year, right? So then you just adopt a new identity and you move on to a new carrier. Just dissolve that company and completely put a new name on the truck and move on.
Undercover video shows same drivers, same trucks, same bad records. Hundreds of violations erased with switch of carrier name and Department of Transportation (DOT) number, the federal ID used to track carrier safety history.
You've got no violations. You've got no crashes. Things that people are going to look at and scrutinize on whether they're going to let you haul their freight or not don't exist. You're just a clean carrier to them.
Networks often owned and operated from Eastern Europe, India, and Central Asia set up chameleon carriers in the US with different names and owners who register with DOT, secure minimal insurance, and within 21 days have a trucking company.
That's all it takes. There's no requirement to own a trucking company that you be an American. You can start it from anywhere in the world. Thousand bucks, pay online, say you are who you say you are, and you've got a trucking company.
700,000 trucking companies; general estimate 10 to 20% are chameleon carriers—thousands of companies racking up thousands of safety violations, poor maintenance, excessive driving hours, drug and alcohol use, evading federal enforcement.
We're having crashes all the time. So, you got 260 million other Americans on the highway sharing it with 700,000 trucking companies. You have a moral, ethical responsibility to share the road safely with those people. But when you've got 10 to 20% that are not doing that, that's an issue.
Contributed to more than 5,300 truck-related deaths in 2024. Data from Fusible, a risk assessment firm: chameleon carriers four times more likely to be involved in a crash. Example: tractor trailer tied to Super Ego Holding network going 72 mph plowed into school bus, critically injuring two children. DOT data: chameleon carriers connected to Super Ego logged almost 15,000 safety violations and 500 accidents in the last 2 years.
350 investigators at Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) overseeing all 700,000 trucking companies.
We are actively trying to find ways that we can do investigations more efficiently, more effectively.
Derek Bars, FMCSA administrator since October. This past year, regulators cracked down on foreign commercial truck drivers and fraudulent commercial driving schools, vowed to take on chameleon carriers.
We have additional 40 investigators that we're trying to hire today. We have a new registration system that we will be rolling out this year. The system we have currently is like 40 years old. We have a front door problem, meaning we need to stop this before they actually get into the system.
Super Ego on radar as part of ongoing investigation; prioritized top 10 companies for investigation.
Super Ego Holding response: leasing company, not trucking firm, not responsible for actions of affiliated carriers and drivers. But investigation and court documents show vast network under Super Ego umbrella from Serbia to US: separate but coordinated companies providing brokers, dispatchers, leases for tractors and trailers. Subsidiaries operate trucks and hire drivers like Daniel Sanchez under lease-to-own contracts.
I see how much they don't care about you. They literally don't care about any other driver on the road at all.
Daniel Sanchez, driving commercial rigs for eight years, recruited by Super Ego in 2025.
They'd have me go out and do anything to get the money, no matter what the risk. They don't care if I got a violation or went to jail, whatever, for any reason. The next day, they'd have another driver in that truck and keep on going. Can't be safe for the driver. It can't be safe for us all. Anybody. Anybody.
Super Ego branded trucks hauling freight across America 7 years ago. Founded by Serbian entrepreneur Alexander Mimich. Grown into sprawling enterprise tied to more than two dozen US-based carriers with hubs in Elmerst, Illinois and Jacksonville, Florida. Customers: Amazon, Walmart, Costco, United States Postal Service.
Flashy recruitment: > Get the best deal with Super Ego Holding.
They promise you the world. They say you can make 8 to 102,000 a week. So, did Super Ego live up to any of those promises? Not at all.
Seven drivers spoke to 60 Minutes: Serbia-based managers skimmed hundreds to thousands of dollars off pay in excessive fees for lease, insurance, repairs. Class action lawsuit calls it scheme to defraud drivers.
I was coming home with negative negative amounts on my check. Negative months. Negative. Yeah, it was in the red. I was doing around 6 to 800 miles a day with that. And you come home with zero.
Company shortchanged drivers by altering delivery contracts or rate cons (confirm broker pay for freight; percentage to driver). Court documents: original rate con vs. fraudulent one showing $700 cut, reducing trucker compensation. Example call:
Can you please send me the other document that the broker sent you? Uh yeah, I can send you. But uh why? He told me that he was sending out the Raycon for 1,500 bucks and then five minutes later you call me and telling me I'm getting 300 bucks. Do you see what it looks like from my point of view?
Sanchez told to erase carrier names and DOT numbers: emailed picture of new name and DOT number, print out, buy duct tape, put on truck.
Duct tape. Yeah. Completely new truck at that point.
Pressured to drive more hours with less sleep. After 11 hours (legal limit), Serbia managers illegally reset federally mandated time clocks to give fresh hours.
Delivering 2 p.m. in 24 hours. Yeah. Yeah, that's going to be awful difficult. Yeah, I know. I know. But we can fix your clock by the push of a button. I guess somehow somewhere they have control of the app where they can just reset your time and just make it go away. You've driven 11 hours. You're required to have the downtime and they changed the device to make it seem as though you have not finished your 11 hours. Yeah, there's been a time where I drove I was driving for eight 18 hours and I told him I said I'm done. I'm going to sleep in parking. The text message said they don't care about that. They're not paying for you to do anything but use the restroom and drive.
Whistleblower, former employee of Super Ego affiliated company in Serbia, met in undisclosed European city (appearance altered).
They are only asking about making money from the driver and they don't take care about safety standards.
Confirmed dispatchers and managers told to overwork and extort American drivers. > They train you to do this? Yeah. They explain me that it's normal a normal thing to do.
What have drivers been most upset about? They don't have money to pay bills. They don't have money to eat. They don't have money to pay rent. The dispatchers, do they have any concern for the drivers? Any compassion? They don't have emotions. The job, it's just a job. You squeeze as much money out of this driver as you can. Yeah, it's better to our owner make money than them.
Taking money from drivers became competition. Lists posted in Belgrade office; top dispatcher cut nearly $24,000 or 32% from drivers' pay in one period. Company profit from this: some weeks 1 million, some 2 million per week.
Daniel Sanchez lost job in January due to compliance dispute, along with truck and $35,000 paid toward owning it.
For me personally, it's is crushing cuz this is my dream. I wanted to own my own truck. I thought this company was going to, you know, get me to where I'm trying to be. They just don't care. You're not a human being for them. You're just a number basically.
Super Ego Holding denies wrongdoing. More than 800 truckers suing it and affiliated companies for fraud and breach of contract. More CBS News investigation into chameleon carriers coming up on Sunday morning.
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