COMPLIANCE
Maintaining compliance with the ever-changing DOT regulations can be a pain. A call to the DOT Doctor can make it painless! Click on any of our services to see more information.
-
An "out of service order" on your DOT number means that a federal or state enforcement officer has declared your commercial vehicle unfit to operate on public roads due to safety violations, prohibiting you from driving until the issues are corrected and the vehicle is deemed safe to operate again; essentially, it's a legal order preventing your truck from being used until compliance is achieved. You might also receive an OOSO for a failure of New Entrant Safety Audit.
Issued by authorities:
Only authorized enforcement officers from the Department of Transportation (DOT) or state agencies can issue an out of service order.
Reasons for an OOSO order:
Common reasons include severe mechanical issues like brake problems, driver fatigue, improper logbook entries, exceeding hours of service, or not meeting other safety regulations.
Immediate effect:
Once issued, you must immediately stop driving your vehicle and cannot resume operation until the violations are addressed.
What can DOT Doctor do to help?
We identify the exact cause of the OOSO and generate an action plan to address the issue(s) so that we can provide proof to the FMCSA that the violation has been corrected and remove the out of service order from your DOT number.
-
A DOT biennial update is a requirement for entities regulated by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to update their registration information every two years. This update is also known as the MCS-150 Form, or Motor Carrier Identification Report.
The biennial update is mandatory and must be completed even if there are no changes to the business information. The FMCSA uses the information provided in the update to calculate safety scores and analyze safety performance.
The filing deadline for the biennial update depends on the last two digits of the USDOT number:
Odd
If the second-to-last digit is odd, the update must be filed in odd-numbered years. For example, 2023, 2025, and 2027.
Even
If the second-to-last digit is even, the update must be filed in even-numbered years. For example, 2022, 2024, and 2026.
The last digit of the USDOT number indicates the month in which the update should be completed. For example, 1 is for January, 2 is for February, and so on.
-
A New Entrant Safety Audit is a mandatory inspection that the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) conducts on new motor carriers to ensure they meet federal safety standards:
Purpose
The audit verifies that the carrier has adequate safety management controls in place.
Who conducts the audit
A certified federal safety investigator and a state or provincial enforcement officer work with the carrier's staff.
When it takes place
The audit must be completed within 12 months of the carrier starting operations.
Where it takes place
The audit takes place at the carrier's main business location if they are a moving company or towing company. Most others are completed electronically via email.
How it's conducted
The audit reviews the carrier's records to ensure compliance with federal regulations.
How it's scored
The audit is pass/fail, and the carrier is notified of the results within 45 days.
What happens if the carrier fails
The carrier must submit a corrective action plan within 45 days for passenger or hazardous materials carriers, or 60 days for all other carriers. If the carrier doesn't submit an acceptable plan, their registration will be revoked for at least 30 days.
Some things you can expect to be included in the audit are:
Medical examiner forms for each driver
Vehicle records, including the unit number, VIN number, license plate state, license number, make, model, and year
Annual inspection records for vehicles and trailers
Hazardous Material (HM) papers
Carrier Program records
Proof of insurance
Drug and alcohol testing documentation
A list of drivers with their first and last names, dates of birth, dates of hire, license numbers, and licensing states
Click here for a New Entrant Safety Audit Consultation
-
Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) is a program that requires companies and individuals to register and pay a yearly fee for operating commercial motor vehicles across state lines:
Who needs a UCR?
Motor carriers, leasing companies, freight forwarders, and brokers that operate in interstate commerce
When is it due?
The UCR is due annually by December 31 for the following year
How much does it cost?
The cost varies based on the size of the fleet. The moving authority releases an updated pricing sheet every year.
Why is it required?
The UCR helps fund transportation safety and enforcement programs. Without UCR registration drivers will be held at ports of entry until it is paid.
-
A BOC-3 filing, or Designation of Agents for Service of Process, is a federal filing required for transportation or logistics companies to operate in the United States. The filing assigns a process agent to receive legal documents on behalf of the company in each state where it operates. Basically, if someone is trying to serve you legal papers and you are on the road, there is a designated agent in all 50 states that can receive the paperwork on your behalf.
Who needs to file
Any new transportation company, including motor carriers, brokers, and freight forwarders, must file a BOC-3 to operate.
How long it lasts
The BOC-3 doesn't expire as long as the company remains active and there are no changes to the designated agents.
-
Heavy highway vehicle use tax. Anyone who has registered or is required to register a heavy highway motor vehicle with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 pounds or more must file Form 2290, Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax Return.
The filing period is from July 1st to June 30th. For example, if you bought a truck in January, the system would prorate you until June 30th (roughly six months).
What is the cost?
Currently, the IRS charges $550 per truck for a full year that is registered at 80,000lbs. The cost can vary greatly depending on weight and time of year. We charge $79 to file form 2290. We encourage everyone to be timely and accurate with their filings as the IRS imposes steep fees and penalties for late or incomplete filings.
-
A "DataQ corrective action" refers to the process of using the DataQs system, managed by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), to dispute and request a review of information considered inaccurate or incomplete in a motor carrier's safety data, essentially allowing them to formally challenge and potentially correct violations or inspection reports associated with their company or drivers within the system; this is done by submitting a "Request for Data Review (RDR)" through the DataQs platform to the appropriate agency for investigation and potential correction.
Purpose:
To ensure accuracy in safety data used by the FMCSA to evaluate motor carriers, allowing carriers to challenge potentially incorrect information that could negatively impact their safety rating.
What can DOT Doctor do?
Whether you are a driver or a motor carrier, we can help challenge incorrect inspection reports and remove them from your records through the Dataq process. We offer four types of challenges including an Inspection Report Request, Single Violation Review, Crash Preventability Review, and Police Crash Report Request.
