Frequently Asked Questions
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) was established within the Department of Transportation on January 1, 2000, pursuant to the Motor Carrier Safety Improvement Act of 1999 (49 U.S.C. 113).
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires all entities under its jurisdiction to update their information every two years. You are required to provide this update every two years even if your company has not changed its information, has ceased interstate operations since the last update, or is no longer in business and you did not notify FMCSA.
No. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires all entities under its jurisdiction to notify FMCSA if they go out of business.
Yes. Your USDOT number can be reactivated after deactivation. There is no need to apply for a new DOT number if the tax ID for your business is not changing.
Yes. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires all entities under its jurisdiction to update their information every two years.
In general, companies that do the following are required to have interstate Operating Authority (MC number) in addition to a DOT number:
● Transport passengers in interstate commerce (for a fee or other compensation, whether direct or indirect)
● Transport federally-regulated commodities owned by others or arranging for their transport, (for a fee or other compensation, in interstate commerce)
FMCSA operating authority is often identified as an “MC,” “FF,” or “MX” number, depending on the type of authority that is granted. Unlike the USDOT Number application process, a company may need to obtain multiple operating authorities to support its planned business operations. The Operating Authority dictates the type of operation a company may run and the cargo it may carry.
● Transport passengers in interstate commerce (for a fee or other compensation, whether direct or indirect)
● Transport federally-regulated commodities owned by others or arranging for their transport, (for a fee or other compensation, in interstate commerce)
FMCSA operating authority is often identified as an “MC,” “FF,” or “MX” number, depending on the type of authority that is granted. Unlike the USDOT Number application process, a company may need to obtain multiple operating authorities to support its planned business operations. The Operating Authority dictates the type of operation a company may run and the cargo it may carry.
Anyone with a CDL (Commercial Driver License) that operates a vehicle over 26,000 lbs or a passenger vehicle of 16 or more capacity.
Yes. The FMCSA specifically states you must participate in a random drug and alcohol testing consortium.
● Pre-Employment- no previous negative drug test on file.
● Post-Accident- required for fatality, moving violation citation with disabled vehicle or moving violation citation and medical treatment for anyone away from accident.
● Reasonable Suspicion- as determined for testing by supervisor.
● Return-To-Duty- required testing from previous positive test.
● Follow-Up- required additional random testing after the employee returns back to duty.
● Post-Accident- required for fatality, moving violation citation with disabled vehicle or moving violation citation and medical treatment for anyone away from accident.
● Reasonable Suspicion- as determined for testing by supervisor.
● Return-To-Duty- required testing from previous positive test.
● Follow-Up- required additional random testing after the employee returns back to duty.
The UCR Act, established in 2005, requires motor carriers involved in interstate commerce, and other businesses subject to The Act, to submit annual fees based on fleet size to supplement funding for state highway motor carrier registration and safety programs.
§382.603 Training for supervisors. Each employer shall ensure that all persons designated to supervise drivers receive at least 60 minutes of training on alcohol misuse and receive at least an additional 60 minutes of training on controlled substances use. The training will be used by the supervisors to determine whether reasonable suspicion exists to require a driver to undergo testing under §382.307. The training shall include the physical, behavioral, speech, and performance indicators of probable alcohol misuse and use of controlled substances. Recurrent training for supervisory personnel is not required.