Newsletter

Selling MC Numbers

The Caviar Desk · March 16, 2026 · 4 min read

Happy Monday. FMCSA just made it official: buying and selling DOT numbers is over. We break it down in today's feature.

Plus:

Carriers Shut Down After Deadly Indiana Crash
Restitution Ordered in Trucking Ponzi Case
Surcharges Due to the Middle East War

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Caviar Question:

What monthly return did the Royal Bengal Logistics trucking Ponzi scheme promise investors?

🍳 What's Cookin' In Freight

🚨 Four Carriers Shut Down After Deadly Indiana Crash. Federal regulators placed four trucking companies out of service after investigators tied them to a February crash in Indiana that killed four Amish men. The carriers are KG Line Group Inc., Tutash Express 1 LLC, RPM Hauling, and Valcins Trucking LLC. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the companies may be part of a suspected “chameleon carrier” network. Regulators say the driver involved had been improperly issued a CDL, and officials warn more carriers connected to the network could still face shutdown.

💸 $51M Restitution Ordered in Trucking Ponzi Case. A federal judge ordered the founder of Florida-based Royal Bengal Logistics to repay $51.2 million after prosecutors said he ran a massive trucking investment Ponzi scheme. The company raised $158 million from roughly 2,000 investors by promising impossible returns, including claims of 200% monthly profits on truck investments. Investigators later found the trucking operation was losing money from the start, with investor funds used to pay earlier investors and cover personal spending. The founder is already serving a 23-year federal prison sentence, but the restitution order shows the extent of the losses.

✈️ FedEx & UPS Add Surcharges Due to the Middle East War. Both carriers introduced new fees on shipments tied to the Middle East as the Iran conflict disrupts airspace and logistics routes. UPS added a $0.64-per-pound surge fee on shipments between the U.S. and 15 Middle Eastern countries, while FedEx implemented demand surcharges ranging from $0.50 to $0.70 per pound depending on direction. Both companies also raised fuel surcharge rates, with parcel analysts warning shippers to expect more price volatility, longer transit times, and targeted lane fees as the conflict continues to strain air cargo networks.

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The Black Market for MC #s

FMCSA just took aim at one of trucking’s worst-kept secrets: the black market for DOT numbers.

In a bulletin released March 13, the agency warned carriers not to buy, sell, or lease USDOT or MC numbers outside legitimate corporate transactions. If regulators catch it, they can shut down the authority tied to that number entirely.

There’s a quiet market for “aged” DOT numbers because a clean operating history unlocks freight.

New carriers often get blocked by brokers for 90 days or more. Insurance is higher. Load boards are tougher. A carrier with years of inspections and a decent safety score suddenly looks valuable.

So some operators skip the line.

They buy access to someone else’s compliance history.

FMCSA says that stops now.

The agency is targeting what regulators call “chameleon carriers”, companies that rack up safety violations or enforcement actions, shut down, then pop back up under a new name and a clean DOT number.

Same trucks. Same operators. Brand-new identity.

The bulletin makes the rule clear: a USDOT number belongs to the legal entity to which it was issued, just as a driver’s license does. It doesn’t transfer unless the entire corporation is sold. Sole proprietors can’t sell theirs at all.

And if FMCSA finds out that a number changed hands the wrong way?

They can pull the authority and put the carrier out of business.

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🌎 Around the Freight Web

📈 Diesel Continues Surging. Average diesel prices jumped more than $1 per gallon in 45 states over the past four weeks, with some markets up $1.50+, and analysts say the national average could hit $5/gal within 48 hours.

🇨🇳 China Ties Trucking Bill. New legislation would require every carrier moving DoD freight to certify they have no links to Chinese military companies, with penalties for false disclosures.

🇺🇸 Alabama Targets Foreign CDLs. New law requires foreign CDL drivers to prove work authorization and English proficiency, with fines and impoundment for violations.

📉 Imports Slide Again. U.S.-bound container imports fell for the sixth straight month in February, dropping 5.3% year-over-year.

🚛 Dalilah’s Law Advances. The proposed bill would revoke many existing CDLs and require nationwide driver recertification within 180 days.

🚢 CMA CGM Reflags Ships. The carrier will move 30 vessels under the French flag despite pledging billions in U.S. maritime investment during last year’s White House shipping push.