Elmhurst Firm Under Federal Investigation, Racks Up Violations: Report

ELMHURST, IL – A Serbian trucking firm with its U.S. headquarters in Elmhurst is under federal investigation, "60 Minutes" reported this week.

The CBS program said its own eight-month investigation revealed Super Ego Holding's racking up of safety violations and flouting of federal regulations.

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One of the issues is "chameleon" carriers that amass safety violations and then change their names to evade federal authorities, according to "60 Minutes."

The CBS program cited U.S. Department of Transportation data showing that chameleon carriers connected to Super Ego racked up nearly 15,000 safety violations and 500 crashes in the last couple of years.

Bill Whitaker of "60 Minutes" asked Derek Barrs, administrator of the Federal Motor Safety Carrier Administration, whether Super Ego was on his radar.

Barrs said Super Ego was part of an ongoing investigation.

"We have prioritized companies who, through our data gathering, that are our top ten companies that we need to be investigating," Barrs told "60 Minutes."

The program said it contacted Super Ego. The firm's lawyers told "60 Minutes" that it is a leasing company, not a trucking firm, saying it was not responsible for the actions of affiliated carriers and drivers.

Super Ego's Alfredo Manning (front, in blue jacket) gives a lesson in 2024 to truckers at the Elmhurst trucking hub. He also maintains a YouTube channel. (David Giuliani/Patch)

In response to Patch's inquiry, Super Ego replied with a statement (below) reflecting its arguments to "60 Minutes." It said it does not transport freight and leases equipment to more than 1,200 licensed carrier companies.

"When a carrier's driver arrives at a Super Ego facility to pick up a truck bearing the Super Ego name or causes dangerous conditions on the road, that driver works for the carrier and not for Super Ego," the firm said.

In 2022, a group of truckers filed a class-action lawsuit against Super Ego, 677 N. Larch Ave., which Patch reported on three years ago.

The truckers alleged the company fraudulently underpaid them. The litigation continues.

Four years ago, Super Ego was the site of frequent Elmhurst police calls. The incidents involved violence and theft, prompting the city to issue "chronic nuisance" warnings, according to police reports.

Elmhurst last issued a chronic nuisance warning to the company on Sept. 23 after a truck struck a utility pole a few days earlier, the city said.

Last year, Super Ego was sued by its neighbor, Chicago Water and Fire Restoration, which is also on Larch Avenue.

Twice, Super Ego semi-trucks have struck Chicago Water's building.

One was during the middle of the workday.

"The building shook when it happened," Kseniya Kelly, a Chicago Water co-owner, told Patch last year. "People were crying."

Super Ego Holding, with its U.S. headquarters in Elmhurst, has been sued by drivers who allege the firm fraudulently underpaid them. (David Giuliani/Patch)