If you logged into Motus, tried to get set up, and walked away with a USDOT number you didn’t have before (and didn’t really need), you’re in good company. This issue is one of the more common mistakes carriers are making in the new system, and it usually traces back to a single wrong turn during setup: starting a brand-new registration when you meant to claim the USDOT number you already had.
It’s an easy wrong turn to take. During setup, Motus asked you to choose whether you need to claim an existing USDOT number or start a new registration. If you already have a USDOT number, you need to claim your existing record. That brings your company information into Motus so you can review and confirm it instead of starting from scratch.
If you start a new registration instead, you can end up with a second USDOT number while the record you actually need to manage is still unclaimed. That’s the part that can cause problems down the line.
How This Mistake Happens
Motus setup is new to everyone, and there are a few spots where it’s easy to get turned around. The screens are unfamiliar and it’s not always obvious which choice applies to you.
What trips most people up, though, is one small detail: the email address. To claim your existing USDOT number, the Company Official has to log in with the same Login.gov email they used for the legacy FMCSA Portal. If that email doesn’t match, or someone else tries to handle the setup, your existing number may not appear the way you expected, and a brand-new registration can start to look like your only choice.
4 Signs You May Have Created a Duplicate USDOT Number
You may have created a new USDOT number by mistake if:
- You already had a USDOT number, but Motus walked you through a brand-new registration instead of pulling up your existing one.
- The number on your account isn’t the one your business has been running under.
- Your company information didn’t carry over, so you found yourself entering it from scratch.
- Your original USDOT record still isn’t connected to your Motus account.
If even one or more of these rings true, hold off before doing anything else. The more you do on the wrong record, the messier the cleanup gets.
What to Do Next
If you think you’ve created a duplicate USDOT number, it can be fixed.
Don’t try to fix it yourself by registering again, since that can create even bigger problems. Instead, reach out to FMCSA directly. They can help connect the correct USDOT record to your Motus account and advise you on what needs to happen with the number you don’t need.
If you’d rather not manage that on your own, US Compliance Services can help. We were first to market with a Motus solution built for this exact situation, helping new businesses register correctly from the start and guiding existing carriers through the transition so they land on the right record instead of a duplicate. And we stay on after that, handling the filings and updates that follow so you’re covered well past the initial setup.
You still have to be part of the process, but we do the heavy lifting. That means making sure your existing number is correctly claimed and that your filings and updates stay current. And if a duplicate has already slipped through, we can help get it straightened out.
If you’d like a hand with any of this, learn more about the Motus Maintenance Program or call (877) 352-1996 to speak with a compliance specialist before making any more changes.
