DOT FILE
Fill what Motus, your insurer, and your ELD already know. The desk blocks posting and haul requests until the hard gates pass. It does not file anything with FMCSA.
22 BLOCKS
BIPD floor for this GVWR, before hazmat, is $750,000. UCR bracket 0–2 power units.
Optional. Leave blank if you do not have them. A high BASIC is a note, not a shutdown. Percentiles are not a safety rating.
BLOCK
Legal name missing
Use the carrier's exact legal name as it appears in Motus.
49 CFR 390.19
BLOCK
USDOT number missing
Enter the USDOT number, digits only. In Motus it is the primary federal identifier. Confirm it at motus.dot.gov — this desk does not query FMCSA.
49 CFR 390.19
BLOCK
Power unit is not marked
The legal name and USDOT number must be on both sides of the power unit, in contrasting letters at least 2 inches high.
49 CFR 390.21
NOTE
No authority docket entered
Motus still issues MC, MX, and FF docket numbers along with USDOT suffixes. Add the docket if older rate confirmations use it. The truck is marked with the USDOT number.
Motus / 49 CFR Part 365
BLOCK
No motor carrier authority selected
Posting a truck or hauling a load requires motor carrier authority. A broker-only or forwarder-only registration cannot be the hauling carrier.
49 CFR Part 365
BLOCK
Interstate authority is not active
Status is pending. For-hire interstate trips wait until FMCSA shows authority as active. The insurer's filing and a BOC-3 have to be in before authority is granted.
49 CFR Part 365
BLOCK
No BOC-3 process agent
For-hire authority needs a BOC-3 designating a process agent. A blank designation holds the authority.
49 CFR 366
BLOCK
UCR is not current
Interstate carriers need Unified Carrier Registration for 2026. The fee follows fleet size and is set each year by the UCR Board.
49 U.S.C. 14504a
BLOCK
BIPD insurance is short
For-hire property needs at least $750,000 on a BMC-91, BMC-91X, or BMC-82 filed by the insurer. This file shows $0.
49 CFR 387.9 / 387.303
BLOCK
MCS-90 endorsement missing
The policy needs the MCS-90 endorsement, or an MCS-82 if you use a surety instead of a policy.
49 CFR 387.15
BLOCK
Insurance is expired or blank
Liability coverage has to be in effect on the day of the trip. A lapse takes the authority with it.
49 CFR 387.301
BLOCK
Biennial update is overdue
Update the carrier record in Motus at least every 24 months. An overdue update can deactivate the USDOT number.
49 CFR 390.19
BLOCK
IFTA not marked
Qualified vehicles in interstate commerce need IFTA fuel-tax registration.
IFTA Articles of Agreement
BLOCK
IRP not marked
Apportioned plates are required for qualified vehicles that run in more than one jurisdiction.
International Registration Plan
BLOCK
Form 2290 not marked
Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax applies at 55,000 pounds taxable gross weight and above. Keep the stamped Schedule 1 with the cab.
26 USC 4481
BLOCK
No certified ELD
Drivers who are not exempt need an ELD that is still on FMCSA's registered list. Name the device. Replace it if FMCSA revokes it.
49 CFR 395 Subpart B
BLOCK
RODS retention not accepted
Keep records of duty status and supporting documents for 6 months, and be able to transfer the ELD file at roadside.
49 CFR 395.8 / 395.11
BLOCK
CDL does not cover this weight
A combination at 26,001 pounds or more generally needs a Class A CDL. Class B covers a straight truck at that weight, not a tractor-trailer.
49 CFR 383
BLOCK
Medical card is expired or blank
A CDL driver needs a current medical certificate from a National Registry examiner, and the state record has to show it.
49 CFR 391.41 / 391.43
BLOCK
English language requirement not met
The driver must read and speak English well enough to converse, understand signs, answer officers, and make reports. The 2026 enforcement policy treats a failure as a roadside out-of-service item.
49 CFR 391.11(b)(2)
NOTE
Entry-level driver training not confirmed
Drivers who first received a CDL on or after February 7, 2022 need training from a provider on the Training Provider Registry.
49 CFR 380 Subpart F
BLOCK
Clearinghouse registration missing
A carrier that uses CDL drivers must be registered in the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse before those drivers operate.
49 CFR 382.711
BLOCK
Clearinghouse query is stale
Run a full pre-employment query before a CDL driver operates, and at least a limited query every 12 months.
49 CFR 382.701
BLOCK
Annual inspection is overdue
Every CMV needs a periodic inspection at least every 12 months, with proof on the vehicle. The driver still completes a daily vehicle inspection report.
49 CFR 396.17 / 396.11
Since May 2026, new and existing carriers manage USDOT numbers, operating authority, and biennial updates in Motus at motus.dot.gov with Login.gov. The USDOT number is the primary identifier. Motus also uses USDOT suffixes and still issues MC, MX, and FF docket numbers. Each authority type is a $300 filing. Paper filings ended September 30, 2025.
FMCSA Motus · 49 CFR Parts 360, 365, 390.19
For-hire interstate property carriers need active operating authority before the first loaded mile. Authority is not granted until the insurer files proof of liability and a BOC-3 process agent is on file. Pending, suspended, revoked, or inactive authority cannot take a load.
49 CFR Parts 365 and 366
For-hire property, non-hazardous: $750,000 BIPD at 10,001 pounds GVWR or more, or $300,000 if every vehicle is under 10,001. Certain hazardous materials: $1,000,000. Explosives, poison gas, and highway-route-controlled radioactive materials: $5,000,000, for for-hire and private carriers. The policy needs an MCS-90 (or MCS-82). Household goods also need a $5,000 cargo filing on BMC-34 or BMC-83.
49 CFR 387.9 and 387.303
A broker needs $75,000 on a BMC-84 surety bond or BMC-85 trust. Effective January 16, 2026, if available security falls below $75,000 and is not restored within 7 calendar days, FMCSA suspends the authority. Trust assets are limited to cash, irrevocable letters of credit from federally insured banks, and U.S. Treasury bonds. Loan and finance companies cannot be BMC-85 trustees.
49 CFR 387.307
Accepting a load on this desk means your motor carrier will transport it. Re-brokering it to another carrier requires your own broker authority, the $75,000 security, and the disclosures in the broker rules.
49 CFR Part 371
Property-carrying drivers: 11 hours of driving, a 14-hour window, a 30-minute non-driving break once driving reaches 8 hours, and a 60-hour/7-day or 70-hour/8-day cycle. A 10-hour off-duty period resets the daily clocks. A 34-hour restart resets the cycle. Nobody — carrier, broker, shipper, or receiver — may push a driver to break those rules to make an appointment. Split sleeper berth (7/3 or 8/2) is logged in the ELD, not in this planner.
49 CFR 395.3 and 390.6
Most interstate CMV drivers use a registered ELD and keep the log plus supporting documents for 6 months. Short-haul (150 air-miles), engines older than model year 2000, and driveaway-towaway can be exempt. If FMCSA revokes a device, replace it before dispatch.
49 CFR 395 Subpart B
Carriers register, run a full pre-employment query before a CDL driver operates, and a limited query at least once a year. A driver in prohibited status cannot operate. Clearinghouse-II requires states to downgrade that CDL until the return-to-duty process is done.
49 CFR Part 382 Subpart G
The driver needs a CDL of the right class and endorsements, a current medical card, and enough English to speak with the public, read signs, answer officers, and complete reports. The 2026 English-language enforcement policy returned that rule to roadside inspection. Entry-level driver training applies to CDLs first issued on or after February 7, 2022. Non-domiciled CDLs are under a 2026 rule — confirm the license is still valid for interstate work.
49 CFR 383, 391.11(b)(2), 391.41, 380 Subpart F
Periodic inspection at least every 12 months, plus a daily driver vehicle inspection report. Interstate qualified vehicles need IFTA and IRP. Taxable gross weight of 55,000 pounds or more needs Form 2290. UCR covers the interstate fleet for the calendar year. Leased owner-operators need a written lease under Part 376.
49 CFR 396 and 376 · IFTA · IRP · 26 USC 4481 · 49 USC 14504a
It does not call SAFER, Licensing and Insurance, Motus, or the Clearinghouse. It checks the file you enter against the thresholds in those rules. A cleared file here is not an FMCSA grant of authority. Confirm the live record before you dispatch. This is an operations aid, not legal advice.
motus.dot.gov · FMCSA SAFER · Licensing & Insurance
Gates follow FMCSA rules as of October 2026, including Motus and the January 16, 2026 broker bond rule. This is not a SAFER, Licensing and Insurance, or Motus query, and it is not legal advice. Confirm the live record before you dispatch.