Trucking news and briefs for Friday, Sept. 4, 2026:
Bill intro’d in House to criminalize all staged-accident fraud
After legislation was introduced in both chambers of Congress this year and last that would have made intentionally staging an accident with a commercial motor vehicle a federal crime, new legislation takes that a step further and would make it a federal crime to knowingly stage or fabricate any motor vehicle crash and submit a fraudulent insurance claim.
The “Stop Auto Fraud Act of 2026” was introduced in the U.S. House this week by Reps. Laura Gillen (D-New York), Troy Nehls (R-Texas), Josh Gottheimer (D-New Jersey) and Vince Fong (R-California).
The legislation targets insurance fraud schemes in which bad actors deliberately cause, stage or fabricate motor vehicle accidents to file false claims and defraud insurance companies for large cash payouts.
The bill would impose penalties, including possible jail time, for violations. Any collected fines would be paid into the Highway Trust Fund for local and interstate roads, bridges and public mass transit systems. Prison time under the bill could be up to 10 years for a staged accident, or up to 20 years for a staged accident that causes serious bodily injury.
A press release from Gillen’s office highlighted that insurance carriers reported 38,270 incidents of suspected motor vehicle insurance fraud to the New York State Department of Financial Services in 2023, a 58% increase from 2020.
Trucking groups including the American Trucking Associations, Truckload Carriers Association, National Tank Truck Carriers, Trucking Association of New York and more have offered support for the legislation.
“On highways across the country, brazen criminals are intentionally colliding with other motorists in an attempt to score a big payday, and commercial trucks are a top target,” said Alex Rosen, ATA’s SVP of Legislative Affairs. “Their selfish actions put the lives of innocent Americans at risk and contribute to soaring insurance premiums that raise costs for all consumers. We need stronger penalties to deter those who perpetrate these schemes, which is why ATA strongly supports the Stop Auto Fraud Act.”
[Related: Federal bill targets staged crash fraud]
Alabama governor touts trucking cleanup efforts
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on Wednesday touted the state’s efforts in aligning with the Trump administration’s efforts to combat fraud and illegal activity in the trucking industry.
Cracking down on bad actors in the industry has been a priority for Ivey, the governor’s office said. Through aggressive state enforcement, strong licensing standards and a close partnership with federal immigration authorities, Ivey said the state “is already delivering strong results and helping set the national standard for keeping illegal and unqualified commercial drivers off the road.” Ivey said her state “has been at the forefront of these same efforts” with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency’s (ALEA) Motor Carrier Safety Unit (MCSU).
Since the partnership between ALEA and ICE began on Oct. 27, 2025, ICE personnel have joined ALEA’s routine commercial-vehicle enforcement assignments when available. During that time, ALEA’s MCSU has assisted ICE with the detention of 561 individuals for immigration violations encountered during commercial motor vehicle enforcement activities.
Additionally, since Jan. 1, 2025, MCSU troopers have issued 1,022 English language proficiency violations to commercial drivers, Ivey noted.
Building upon those enforcement efforts, in March, Ivey signed the Highway Safety and Fairness Act. The law requires foreign CDL holders operating in Alabama to possess valid United States work authorization, requires all CDL holders to demonstrate ELP and makes presenting a fraudulent foreign CDL during an enforcement encounter a criminal offense. The law takes effect in less than a month on Oct. 1.
“Alabama did not wait for this issue to resolve itself,” Ivey added. “We took action, we strengthened the law and took illegal operators off our highways. My message is clear: If you are here illegally, operating unlawfully or putting American lives at risk, you will be held accountable.”
Alabama does not issue non-domiciled CDLs and only issues CDL licenses to lawful permanent residents.
The state’s enforcement efforts have also resulted in a reduction in fatal crashes involving commercial motor vehicles, Ivey said. In 2025, Alabama recorded 106 fatalities involving CMVs, the lowest annual total since 2021. So far in 2026, the state is experiencing a 24% reduction in CMV-involved fatalities compared to the same period last year.
“President Trump and Secretary Duffy are taking decisive action to restore law, order and accountability to America’s trucking industry, and we are proud to help lead that effort,” said Ivey. “Here in Alabama, we have already made it clear that those who are in our country illegally, cannot speak English or are otherwise unqualified have no business operating an 80,000-pound commercial vehicle. Through ALEA’s partnership with ICE and the dedicated work of our state troopers, Alabama is helping keep dangerous drivers off our roads and protect law-abiding citizens.”
Tennessee piloting parking availability system along I-40
The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has implemented Truck Parking Availability System (TPAS) pilot technologies at its I-40 Welcome Center in Smith County.
The pilot project, a coordinated effort with Stantec and funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s SMART Grants Program, is designed to help truck drivers find safe, reliable parking when moving essential freight across the Southeast, TDOT said.
The TPAS technologies are now fully integrated into TDOT’s SmartWay system and operational at the I-40 Welcome Center. Using QR codes on signage in the truck parking area, truck drivers are encouraged to submit feedback on the technologies to help TDOT determine the most reliable occupancy detection technology and overall systems standards. The technologies will be evaluated over the coming months to determine the recommended technologies and standards for future statewide scaling across all truck parking facilities.
Four different methods of monitoring technology have been deployed:
- Magnetometers to detect the number of trucks entering and exiting the Welcome Center’s eastbound lot.
- Radar-Camera Fusion Sensor to detect the number of trucks entering and exiting the Welcome Center’s eastbound lot, and to detect the number of available parking spaces in the Welcome Center’s westbound lot.
- Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) to detect the number of available parking spaces in the Welcome Center’s westbound lot.
- Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras to detect the number of available parking spaces in the Welcome Center’s westbound lot.
TDOT said these technologies provide real-time availability information to truck drivers through roadside signage and in-cab alerts via ELDs. Similar to TDOT SmartWay cameras, any camera deployed at the I-40 Welcome Center to monitor parking will not be recorded or used for enforcement purposes, the department added.
“By giving drivers early, reliable information through these innovative solutions, we help them make smarter decisions,” said TDOT Commissioner Will Reid. “Our goal is simple: to support the men and women who keep our freight moving, while protecting everyone who uses Tennessee roadways.”
