Shape-Shifting Truck or An Honest Driver? The Changing DOT Numbers Fiasco

You’re cruising down the highway when you notice a truck driver carefully swapping out his truck’s DOT number on the side of his rig.

What in the world is going on here?! Is this driver, up to no good? Brazen enough to prepare for a crime in broad daylight? Or is he just a guy trying to make ends meet within the seemingly unforgiving state that is the current freight market?

The Dark Side: Double Brokering, Fraud, and Disappearing Acts

In freight, constantly changing DOT numbers is a major red flag. It’s often associated with scams, mainly double brokering. The result? Unpaid carriers, misplaced freight, and a trail of financial wreckage.

According to Andrey Drotekno, President of Strategic Relations at Verified Carrier, double brokering scams and other cargo thefts are costing the industry upwards of $500-700 million annually. That’s $400,000 annually per company within the industry, according to TIA. Some carriers exploit regulatory loopholes, using disposable or even fake DOT numbers to stay one step ahead of enforcement. A company gets caught scamming, shuts down, and then pops back up under a fresh identity.

A recent Reddit thread in r/FreightBrokers shows how some “Chicago Chameleons” may very well be up to no good. In a viral video, a driver was caught changing his DOT# on the side of his truck, taping it nonchalantly for everyone to see.

“Be forewarned. Just [because] a truck shows up with a DOT# on the side, [doesn’t] mean that’s their real DOT#. Your customer’s load is about to get stolen and re-directed.”

Many within the comment section of the thread agreed. 

Comment
byu/BusSerious1996 from discussion
inFreightBrokers

However, there were some giving the driver the benefit of the doubt, such as one commenter who said:

“As long as brokers continue paying just $1.50 per mile, trucking companies are being pushed into desperate measures. As an operations manager in a trucking company, we’ve cut costs as much as possible, yet we’re still losing money on almost every load we move. Even when you manage to book a good-paying load, you often end up in a bad area where you lose whatever profit you just made. There’s no real way around it except resorting to questionable tactics…. just like the guy in the video.

These are hardworking people trying to make a living, but brokers keep driving rates down instead of pushing them up where they need to be. Trucking companies are left with nothing. We own assets worth millions, yet someone with a $70K authority, an overseas office, a few cheap computers, and some low-cost staff is making more money than we are—without dealing with breakdowns, fuel costs, or any of the risks we take.

At this rate, even I may have to steer my company toward extreme measures just to survive. Thousands of trucking companies have already shut down because of this broken system, and if things don’t change, many more will follow.”

The Struggle: Surviving the Freight Recession

But let’s take a step back. Not every driver changing DOT numbers is out to scam the system. Some might just be trying to survive in an industry that’s been on a brutal downturn.

The freight market has been in a deep recession, with rates plummeting and available loads drying up.

We recently reported data from DAT that the market bellwethers don't show the market flipping to carrier favor any time soon. This could be contributing to more extreme desperate acts.

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With constant news of tariffs, companies filing for bankruptcy, or shutting their doors after years of quality service, things aren’t looking good at the moment.

Despite the promise of a new beginning when the industry entered 2025, the reality is far bleaker. With fewer opportunities, some drivers might take desperate measures to keep rolling and support their families.

Hence the “Chicago Chameleon” driver in question. Here’s a theory: he could be working for multiple companies and switching DOT numbers not only to maximize legal driving hours but also to increase access to as many loads as possible—just to have some form of work in this struggling industry. While that technically violates Hours of Service regulations, the reality is that when bills pile up and loads are scarce, some drivers might see it as their only option.

Is It Hustle or Harm?

So, is this trucker a criminal or just a hustler trying to stay in the game? It depends on how you look at it.

From an ethical and regulatory standpoint, changing DOT numbers on the fly undermines industry trust and safety. Double brokering and fraudulent operations hurt honest carriers and brokers who play by the rules. Plus, the risks are massive—if something goes wrong, tracking down the responsible party becomes a nightmare.

But from the driver’s perspective, the equation is different. In a market where competition is ruthless, bending the rules might feel like a necessary evil. If you’re a small-time owner-operator trying to make ends meet, the decision isn’t always black and white.

But one thing is for sure, as this Redditor commented:

“I always think I’ve seen it all in this game. Then shit like this reminds me that I have not.”