Recently, I have had a number of our customers that have gone through roadside inspections informed that their US DOT operating authority has been deactivated for failure to update their motor carrier information as required every 2 years.

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.

Failure to complete a Biennial Update will result in deactivation of your USDOT number and may result in civil penalties of up to $1,000 per day, not to exceed $10,000.

Updating your information is free. We have included instructions below to help you complete your biennial update.

  • Deadlines for Filing Update
  • Update Online
  • Update via US Mail

How can I tell if my authority is active?

Click Here and scroll down the home page to the links at the bottom. Click on “Company Snapshot” and enter your US DOT number.

You will be able to tell on the Snapshot report on the second entry “operating status” whether it is active or not.

First published in the Idealease Safety Bulletin