This bill mandates that motor carriers transporting Department of Defense freight undergo enhanced national security vetting and certify they have no significant business ties to Chinese military companies.
Tom Cotton
Senator
AR
The Trucking Security and CCP Disclosure Act of 2026 mandates that all motor carriers transporting Department of Defense freight certify they have no significant business ties to Chinese military companies. Additionally, the bill establishes a "Secure Defense Freight Carrier Registry" to ensure that only vetted, security-cleared carriers are eligible to handle sensitive military cargo.
Trucking Security and CCP Disclosure Act Mandates New Vetting for Defense Freight and Creates National Carrier Registry by 2027.
If you’re a truck driver or a small fleet owner, the way you haul freight for the military is about to get a lot more paperwork-heavy. This bill requires any motor carrier moving Department of Defense (DOD) cargo to certify that they aren't owned, controlled by, or doing 'significant' business with Chinese military companies. It’s not just for the big players; the rule flows all the way down to subcontractors and independent owner-operators. If you’re hauling a load of engine parts to a base, you’ll need to prove your business ties are clean and keep those records on file for at least five years (Section 2). For the average driver, this means your 'reasonable inquiry' into your own business partners just became a legal requirement with civil penalties and potential debarment if you get it wrong.
The New VIP List for Freight
Think of the 'Secure Defense Freight Carrier Registry' as a mandatory VIP club for military logistics. Within one year, the Department of Transportation and the DOD will launch this registry, and if you aren't on it, you aren't bidding on defense contracts (Section 3). To get on the list, carriers have to pass enhanced national security vetting. This includes a deep dive into who actually owns your company and a security check for drivers that mirrors the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) standards. If you’re a small business owner who usually picks up DOD loads to fill gaps in your schedule, the two-year re-evaluation cycle and the 'enhanced vetting' could mean more time spent on background checks and less time on the road.
Definitions and Deadlines
While the bill is clear about the 'what,' the 'how' is a bit blurry. The Secretary of Defense has 180 days to define what 'significant business relationships' actually means (Section 2). For a logistics company with international ties, this vagueness is a bit of a wildcard—could a software contract with a Chinese firm disqualify you from hauling a load of boots to Fort Bragg? We won't know until the regulations are written. Additionally, while there are waivers for 'urgent' circumstances, the default rule is simple: starting one year after enactment, no registry entry means no DOD freight. For the thousands of independent operators who keep military supply chains moving, the clock is ticking on a new era of federal oversight.