Trucking

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) keeps thousands of electronic records on drivers and motor carriers. While it strives to collect and maintain accurate data, you may occasionally spot an error in your own record or carrier profile. If so, the FMCSA allows you to request a correction through its DataQs system. The purpose of DataQs is to allow drivers and motor carriers to review data imported from state and federal sources for accuracy and request correction if necessary.

Read moreHow to make a correction on the FMCSA or in my carrier profile

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) operates dozens of programs that it typically refers to only by their abbreviations. The United Registration System (URS) and is no exception. Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) is a state-operated program. Due to the closeness of the abbreviations and the fact that both involve some type of registration, it can be easy to get URS and UCR confused. The most important thing to remember about them is that they are not the same thing.

Read moreIs the URS the same thing as the UCR?

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) offers numerous online resources for drivers and motor carriers. Checking your safety record, challenging incorrect information, updating demographic data, and utilizing resources to become a better commercial driver are just some things you can do through the FMCSA website. However, you need to have a personal identification number (PIN) to access areas with sensitive data just as you do with any other website. If you don’t yet have a PIN, follow the instructions below to establish one.

Read moreHow do I get my PIN from the FMCSA?

According to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), a freight forwarder is a company that arranges the transportation of goods that carriers licensed by the agency will deliver in the future. Freight forwarding companies provide bill of lading documentation to the shippers and remain responsible for safely delivering the goods.

Read moreDo freight forwarders and brokers have to register with the FMCSA?

The Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse is a database maintained by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The purpose is to provide real-time access to law enforcement personnel at the state level, State Driver License Agencies (SDLA), and the FMCSA itself regarding violations of alcohol and drug use. It is a violation of the FMCSA drug and alcohol policy for a driver to have a blood alcohol concentration greater than .04 percent while performing any official duties. However, truck drivers might wonder who is authorized to access the new Clearinghouse.

Read moreWho is authorized to use Clearinghouse and how do they sign up?

On January 6, 2020, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) made its Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse available to authorized parties. With the program still being so new, one common question that commercial drivers have is whether CDL drivers must register for the Clearinghouse.

Read moreAre CDL drivers required to register for Clearinghouse?

The Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, which the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) developed more than three years ago, finally became available to authorized users on January 6, 2020. The database collects and stores information about professional drivers with a commercial driver’s license (CDL) or commercial learner’s permit (CLP) as it pertains to drug and alcohol violations. This covers all commercial drivers required to abide by the FMCSA’s drug and alcohol testing policy.

Read moreFMCSA Clearinghouse update: January 6th has passed

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires commercial drivers to apply for an identification number with the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT) as well as operating authority (MC number) in most cases. To obtain your identification number via the USDOT, you must complete an online registration form at the FMCSA Unified Registration System (URS). You’ll have to access the URS directly since the FMCSA stopped accepting paper registrations for first-time applicants in December 2015. You do not need to pay a fee to complete your registration.

Read moreHow long does it take to apply for Operating Authority/DOT Number?

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires most commercial drivers to obtain a unique identifying number from the United States Department of Transportation (USDOT). Drivers involved with interstate transport must have a USDOT number if they meet certain conditions. These include driving a vehicle weighing more than 10,000 pounds, transporting at least nine but no more than 15 passengers for compensation, transporting 16 or more passengers with or without compensation, and transporting hazardous materials.

Read moreHow to reactivate your USDOT Number

When you receive a citation through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), the agency gives you the opportunity to contest it under its adjudicated citation policy. The term adjudicated citation refers to a proceeding of due process conducted at the local, state, or administrative tribunal level. When you have an adjudicated citation, it means that you have contested it and the matter has resolved at one of the three levels. This is true regardless of whether the matter resolved in your favor or not. It also applies whether a prosecutor, judge, or another authority figure ruled on your challenge.

Read moreWhat is an adjudicated citation in trucking?