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 have.

If you’ve landed on a TSP account page instead of the carrier record you expected, FMCSA has now provided specific instructions for closing the incorrect account and getting back to the claiming process.

What Is a Transportation Service Provider in Motus?

A Transportation Service Provider, or TSP, is a company that helps motor carriers and other regulated entities manage FMCSA registration actions. It’s a legitimate role within Motus, but it’s not the role a carrier needs when trying to claim its own USDOT number.

When a carrier’s email address is inadvertently registered under the TSP role, Motus sends the carrier down the wrong account path. Instead of opening the carrier setup process and prompting the user to claim an existing USDOT number, the system opens an account intended for companies that assist other registrants. That leaves the carrier on the TSP account page without the claiming option it needs.

How to Close the Incorrect TSP Account

If Motus has placed you on the TSP account page, FMCSA says the first step is to close that account before trying to claim your USDOT number. To do that:

• Log in to Motus at motus.dot.gov.
• Go to the TSP account page.
• Click the gear icon on the right side of the screen.
• Choose “Close Account.”
• Follow the prompt to confirm that you are permanently closing the TSP account.

Once the account is closed, Motus should display a dialog box prompting you to claim your USDOT number, provided your Login.gov email address is linked to that record.

When claiming the number, the Company Official should use the same Login.gov email address that was used to access the legacy FMCSA Portal. This helps Motus locate the existing USDOT record and connect it to the correct account.

What if You Still Can’t Claim Your Number?

If you close the TSP account but the claiming prompt still does not appear, check whether the “Link a USDOT Number” option is greyed out. FMCSA says carriers in that situation should submit a support ticket and include:

• The company’s USDOT number
• The name and Login.gov email address of the Company Official who will own the account
• Proof of company ownership, such as an IRS letter, articles of incorporation, or other state or municipal registration documentation

It may be tempting to start a new registration when your existing number will not link, but that does not solve the account-role problem. Instead, it can leave you with a second USDOT number while the record you actually need remains unclaimed.

Motus Is Confusing, But You Don’t Have to Sort It Out Alone

Closing the incorrect TSP account is only part of the process. You still need to make sure Motus is connecting the right Company Official, Login.gov email address, and USDOT record—and know what to do if it doesn’t.

That’s exactly what the US Compliance Services Motus Maintenance Program is designed to help with. We help determine where your setup went off course, prepare the information and documentation you need, and guide you through claiming the correct record. Once your account is established, we continue maintaining your DOT registration so it stays accurate and current.

Some steps must be completed directly by you or your Company Official, but you don’t have to figure everything out alone. Learn more about the Motus Maintenance Program or call (877) 352-1996 to speak with a compliance specialist.