Fraudulent companies6 min read
Six family trucking firms sue C.H. Robinson and TQL, alleging they steered loads to chameleon carriers
A new federal racketeering lawsuit claims two major freight brokers used unsafe, name-changing trucking outfits to undercut legitimate carriers on price.
On September 23, 2026, Stevens Trucking Co., Western Flyer Express LLC, D & M Carriers LLC (doing business as Freymiller Trucking), IWX Motor Freight LLC, Christenson Transportation Inc., and E.O.S. Inc. sued C.H. Robinson and Total Quality Logistics (TQL) in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The complaint alleges violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO), a law usually aimed at organized crime patterns, plus false-advertising claims.
The plaintiffs say the brokers funneled freight to 'fly-by-night' or chameleon carriers—companies registered at fake addresses, often underinsured, that allegedly recruit and exploit foreign drivers through forced labor, ignore safety rules, falsify electronic logbooks, and contribute to more crashes. These outfits accept rock-bottom rates that law-abiding carriers cannot match, the suit claims, letting the brokers keep a safe-looking façade while undercutting compliant competitors and squeezing their profits.
A large part of the 66-page complaint focuses on a network called Super Ego, described as a holding company operating through more than 70 related chameleon carriers. C.H. Robinson had named Super Ego its 2025 Carrier of the Year in the 1,000-plus truck category. One plaintiff, Freymiller, alleges $51.2 million in lost sales across 63 customers. The suit says the brokers' practices have forced many legitimate trucking companies to close and made highways more dangerous.
C.H. Robinson strongly rejects the allegations. Chief Legal Officer Dorothy Capers said the company 'reject[s] the allegations in this civil lawsuit, its false characterization of C.H. Robinson and our business practices, and its fundamental inaccuracies about how the freight market actually works.' She noted that all carriers it works with are federally authorized, meet extra safety and insurance standards, and that the marketplace—not brokers—sets rates. Super Ego-affiliated carriers are no longer in its network, the company added. TQL has not publicly detailed a response in the reports reviewed. No court has ruled on the claims, and the case remains open.
What is a chameleon carrier?
A chameleon carrier (also called a reincarnated carrier) is a trucking operation that closes one company after building a poor safety record or facing enforcement, then restarts essentially the same business under a fresh name, new Motor Carrier (MC) number, and new U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) number. Regulators have long struggled to catch them because the new registration looks clean on paper.
Sources
- CDLLife report on the lawsuit
- Eastern District of Texas docket (Stevens Trucking et al. v. C.H. Robinson et al., 2:26-cv-00869)
- Land Line Media coverage with broker response
- FreightWaves summary of RICO allegations
- The Loadstar on Super Ego exit and damages claims
The Ro-Mac Brief summarizes public reporting for a general reader. Figures can be revised by the agency that published them. This is not legal advice.
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