The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced plans to more actively use artificial intelligence and advanced data analytics to identify illegal activities in the freight transportation sector. This primarily concerns carriers and drivers who operate in violation of federal requirements, including abuses with non-domiciled commercial driver's licenses (non-domiciled CDL).
The new strategy was revealed during a public speech by DOT leadership at an industry event in Washington. As representatives of the agency noted, technology should help the state find systemic violations faster and more accurately, which are difficult to detect using traditional control methods.
According to U.S. Deputy Secretary of Transportation Steven Bradbury, the agency intends to "bet on AI" to improve the effectiveness of industry oversight. The goal is to analyze large data sets and identify anomalies that may indicate illegal CDL issuance, fictitious companies, or the use of drivers not authorized to work in the U.S.
In the industry publication FreightWaves, officials are quoted as saying that AI will allow "finding a needle in a haystack faster" — that is, to pinpoint problematic companies without total inspections (FreightWaves — DOT to use AI to go after illegal truckers).
Special attention is given to non-domiciled CDL — licenses issued to drivers not permanently residing in the state of issuance. Federal regulators recognize that this mechanism has become vulnerable to abuse in recent years.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is already conducting audits of programs issuing such licenses and declares the need to "restore the integrity of the system" (official FMCSA press release section).
According to regulators, cases of mass violations have been identified in several states, including the issuance of CDL to individuals who do not meet federal status and training requirements.
DOT emphasizes that the implementation of AI is part of a broader strategy for the digital transformation of transportation oversight. The agency views artificial intelligence as a tool to enhance road safety and fair competition in the transportation market (DOT AI initiative).
For carriers, this means increased risks:
- Automated systems will be able to detect discrepancies in documents and reporting faster;
- The likelihood of selective but more accurate inspections will increase;
- Using "gray schemes" with licenses and drivers will become significantly more dangerous.
At the same time, industry representatives are already expressing concerns that algorithm errors or incorrect data could lead to false positives. DOT responds that AI will be used as an auxiliary tool, not as the sole source of decisions.
It is expected that in the coming months, FMCSA and DOT will provide additional clarifications on the practical application of AI in freight transportation oversight. For companies and drivers, this is a signal: compliance requirements will not only be stricter but also technologically "smarter."
For the U.S. freight transportation market, this could be a turning point when digital tools finally become a key element of government control.