The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) manages a portal system that allows industry users as well as federal and state employees to access the system with a single user ID and password. The FMCSA portal account contains important safety data for individual drivers and commercial trucking companies that fall under the authority of the FMCSA. Cargo tank facilities, brokers, motor carriers, freight forwarders, and providers of intermodal equipment can all obtain secure access to any information that the FMCSA has on file for them.
The two types of account portals available
Currently, the FMCSA offers two types of portals. These include:
- Access Company Information Account: This type of account is appropriate for anyone who needs to access limited information about the company. However, this person doesn’t manage accounts of other users.
- Company Official Account: A person with this type of account receives complete access to company information. Additionally, he or she can respond to, approve, and manage any account requests from other employees of the company. The FMCSA and Department of Transportation (DOT) only allow for one company official account. The person applying for this type of account access must have a personal identification number (PIN) associated with the number they received from the DOT.
Steps to establish a portal account
Regardless of which type of account you need, the first step is to navigate to the FMCSA Portal to begin your registration. Once there, check a box to indicate whether you’re a company employee or an associate of a company or a federal, state, or third-party enforcement employee. This will take you to a page to enter your DOT number, requested role, and reason for requesting the role. The registration form will take you through six screens based on your answer to the last question.
FMCSA Portal Account required to access the Unified Registration System
The Unified Registration System (URS) is a separate system maintained by the FMCSA that enables companies and individual owner-operators to complete an initial registration for operating authority. The URS is also the place to go to notate changes such as company name, address, telephone number, and name of contact. When you navigate to the URS, it gives you the option of registering as a new applicant or updating the record of an existing company.
The FMCSA also requires all registrants to update their information every two years even if no changes have occurred. Failing to complete this biennial update could result in the DOT deactivating your number and a fine of up to $1,000 per day with a $10,000 maximum penalty enforced.
Keep your insurance truck updated too
Part of your responsibility as a commercial driver or owner-operator is making sure that you always have adequate insurance coverage. In addition to basic liability mandated by the FMCSA, you could also benefit from policies offering specific coverage for cargo, hazardous materials, and several other specializations. We can help you with getting the truck insurance you need to protect your business. You can get started with your quotes by filling out our form, giving us a call, or messaging us on LiveChat.
Source:
https://ask.fmcsa.dot.gov/app/answers/detail/a_id/419
https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration
https://www.fmcsa.dot.gov/registration/updating-your-registration