Why Your FMCSA Safety Score Matters More After the Broker Liability Ruling
For as long as safety scores have existed, their most immediate consequences have come from FMCSA. The agency uses inspection results, violations, and percentile rankings to prioritize carriers for warning letters, closer roadside scrutiny, or investigations. None of that has changed. What has changed is who else is paying attention. After the Supreme Court’s May […]
Motus Thinks You’re a Transportation Service Provider. Now What?
Failed identity checks, missing USDOT records, and duplicate numbers created by mistake have given carriers no shortage of Motus headaches over the past two months. Now FMCSA is calling attention to another problem: some motor carriers are ending up registered as Transportation Service Providers, which can keep them from claiming the USDOT number they already […]
Is UCR Filed Through Motus Now? Here’s the Clear Answer
New systems have a way of making old requirements feel confusing again. That’s been the case since FMCSA rolled out Motus, its new USDOT Registration System. Carriers who are already sorting through Login.gov email mismatches, identity verification steps, and trouble claiming their USDOT number have started wondering whether Motus also changes the Unified Carrier Registration […]
Why an Unrated Safety Record Just Became a Business Risk
A few weeks ago, the Supreme Court ruled that freight brokers can face liability for negligently hiring an unsafe carrier. Now the broker community is asking FMCSA for a faster, clearer way to identify carriers that may be too risky to hire. The Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA) has petitioned FMCSA to establish a federal Motor […]
Having Trouble With Motus? Four Common Setup Problems Explained
Even when a new technology is designed to make life easier, it usually comes with a few early hiccups. That has been the case with Motus since its launch last month. The system was built to streamline FMCSA’s registration process and improve security, but for many motor carriers, just getting in the door has been […]
Preparing for Operation Safe Driver Week 2026
Operation Safe Driver Week is less than a month away. From July 12-18, 2026, law enforcement personnel across North America will be watching commercial and passenger vehicle drivers more closely than usual, looking for the unsafe behaviors that contribute to preventable crashes. During last year’s campaign, officers in Canada and the United States pulled over […]
Did You Accidentally Create a New USDOT Number in Motus? Here’s What to Do
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 […]
Why More Carriers Are Turning to Help With Motus
Motus is live, and every active motor carrier with a USDOT number now has to use the new system to manage FMCSA registration actions tied to that record. Creating an account may sound like a simple first step, but for many carriers, it’s been anything but. Some carriers are logging into Motus for the first […]
FMCSA Fertilizer Waiver: HOS and ELD Relief for 35 States
FMCSA has issued a temporary waiver giving certain fertilizer haulers relief from federal hours-of-service and electronic logging device requirements. The waiver is intended to help move fertilizer products more efficiently during a period of supply pressure affecting a large portion of the country. The waiver took effect May 26, 2026, and is scheduled to remain […]
Marijuana Reclassification Does Not Change the Rules for CDL Drivers
Marijuana may have a new classification at the federal level, but that doesn’t give CDL holders new permission to use it. Recent federal action moved certain medical marijuana products from Schedule I to Schedule III, creating plenty of headlines and even more confusion. For CDL holders and motor carriers, though, the practical answer is still […]