How FMCSA Audits Are Changing This Year

If you’re a DOT-regulated motor carrier with any compliance weak spots, the FMCSA’s latest audit trends are worth paying attention to. In 2025, the agency has been quietly shifting how it conducts audits, with on-site focused reviews projected to reach their highest level in the past five years. Carriers with known issues are feeling the impact firsthand.

If you look only at total audits over the past five years, it might seem like business as usual. Year to year, the numbers have remained fairly steady.

But a closer look tells a different story. While the overall audit volume hasn’t changed much, the way those audits are being conducted is changing considerably.

What the 2025 Numbers Reveal

As of July 25, 2025 (the most current data available), auditors have conducted 4,924 on-site focused audits. If that pace continues, focused audits will reach nearly 6,000 by the end of the fiscal year. That’s a 20% increase over 2021 and the highest level in five years.

At the same time, on-site comprehensive audits are down almost 10% year over year. And off-site audits, which became the go-to during COVID, are falling fast. They’re down 11% compared to 2024 and 67% compared to 2021.

The takeaway? Auditors are doubling down on focused audits and prioritizing carriers with known compliance issues. If there’s an area of weakness that’s been flagged, the chances of an auditor showing up to dig into it are going up significantly.

How the Audit Mix Is Changing

In the past, carriers were more likely to receive a comprehensive audit. These full-scale reviews looked at every major part of your operation: driver qualification files, hours-of-service records, maintenance tracking, accident history, and drug and alcohol testing compliance.

That’s no longer the default. These days, the FMCSA is leaning heavily on focused audits that look at just one or two specific areas where problems have been flagged. These reviews are usually triggered by data like patterns in your CSA scores or repeat roadside violations that suggest something needs a closer look.

Focused audits are narrower in scope, but that doesn’t mean they’re easier. If an auditor shows up to look at your hours-of-service compliance or Clearinghouse procedures, they’re coming in with a reason. And the bar is high.

In 2025, auditors are finding an average of six violations per audit, even on these targeted reviews. If that one area isn’t airtight, it can lead to multiple citations in a single visit.

What This Shift Means for Your Operation

If your operation has a known compliance issue (whether it’s ELD violations, missed Clearinghouse queries, or a spike in hours-of-service problems), you’re more likely to get audited. And you’re more likely to face a focused review that zeroes in on that specific problem.

The shift away from off-site audits and toward targeted, in-person reviews means less room for error and fewer delays. If the FMCSA decides to investigate, they’re showing up prepared. And they’re expecting you to be ready too.

For carriers who haven’t been prioritizing DOT compliance, this change raises the stakes. If you’ve got weak spots, now’s the time to address them before the FMCSA decides to take a closer look.

Understanding the Impact

The move toward more focused audits has real consequences for carriers. These audits are designed to zero in on areas where issues have already been flagged, which means there’s a higher likelihood of violations being documented. That alone puts your CSA scores at risk, but the ripple effects go much further.

Violations found during a focused audit can lead to:

• Increased intervention risk. The more issues that surface, the more likely your company is to be targeted for additional monitoring or enforcement.
• Higher insurance premiums. Insurers often look at CSA data and audit history when setting rates. A focused audit with violations doesn’t play in your favor.
• Lost business opportunities. Shippers and brokers routinely check safety ratings and CSA scores. A string of focused audits with violations can make your company a less attractive partner.
• Internal disruptions. Preparing for and responding to audits (especially when they turn up violations) can take your staff away from other critical tasks and create lasting strain on your operations.

In short, the rise in focused audits makes it more important than ever to close compliance gaps before they draw an auditor’s attention.

How US Compliance Services Can Help

Whether you’re trying to stay off the audit radar or recover from a violation, we make it easier to keep your operation compliant.

Our expert team will help you identify weak spots before they become violations, stay ahead of deadlines, and maintain up-to-date records so you’re ready if an audit does happen. And if you’ve already been flagged? We can help you put the right corrective actions in place to avoid making the situation worse.

DOT compliance isn’t static, and your strategy shouldn’t be either. We’re here to help with drug and alcohol testing programs, driver qualification files, safety audits, and everything in between.