In order to update your company information, you’ll need to submit a new MCS-150 Biennial Update. You can make changes to your USDOT registration online for free using the steps below.
- Go to: https://li-public.fmcsa.dot.gov/LIVIEW/PKG_REGISTRATION.prc_option
- Scroll down the page and select “I need to update my USDOT number registration information or file my biennial update (MCS-150)” under Existing Registration Updates, then click Continue.
- Select “File Electronically”
- Enter the information on the page.
- Select “Continue” at the bottom left of the page.
New Entrant Carriers have statistically higher crash rates than the national average. Ensure you are doing your part to eliminate crashes and keep unsafe vehicles and drivers off the road. Section 4.4.4 of the Motor Carrier Safety Planner gives strategies on how to reduce crash involvement: https://csa.fmcsa.dot.gov/safetyplanner/MyFiles/Sections.aspx?ch=21&sec=62.
UCRAs a reminder, your company is required to be registered with the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) Program each year. The UCR Program requires individuals and companies that operate commercial motor vehicles in interstate or international commerce to register their business with a participating state and pay an annual fee based on the size of their fleet. This is a required annual fee for all interstate busing or trucking companies, and failure to pay it can result in a ticket being issued during a roadside inspection. The total fee for a fleet size of 0-2 vehicles is $37 for 2024, and registration is valid through until December 31 of each year. To complete this registration in the future, please go to: https://plan.ucr.gov/. Failure to pay this fee each year can lead to significant monetary fines up to $10,000.
D&A TestingIf your company operates CDL-required vehicles, it is required to enroll the drivers of these vehicles in a controlled substance and alcohol testing consortium. A consortium is responsible for randomly selecting drivers for controlled substance and alcohol testing. You must work with the Consortium to ensure that the information they have concerning your drivers is up to date:
- When you hire a new driver, you must alert the Consortium so they can send him/her for a pre-employment test and add him/her to your random testing pool.
- When a driver leaves your service, you must alert them so they can remove the driver from your random testing pool.
- When your driver is involved in a reportable crash, you must alert the Consortium so they can send the driver for a post-accident test.
- Safe Systems Corporation (Albany, NY)
- Accredited Drug Testing, Inc. (Winter Park, FL)
- Foley Services, Inc (Hartford, CT)
- Partners In Safety (Middletown, NY)
- US Drug Test Centers (Henderson, NV)
- New Era Drug Testing (Burbank, CA)
- Access Compliance LLC (Latham, NY)
CDL-required vehicle operators must also be enrolled in FMCSA’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. This is a relatively new program that launched in January 2020, and requires all carriers who employ CDL driver to register and query with the Clearinghouse to ensure their drivers have a clean testing history. For Information about Clearinghouse registration requirements visit: https://clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov/Learn. If you have specific Clearinghouse related questions, please call 1-800-724-2811 or send an email to clearinghouse@dot.gov. Be sure to get registered with the Clearinghouse as soon as possible. In short:
- Companies that utilize CDL drivers are required to be registered with the Clearinghouse
- Companies must obtain written or electronic consent from drivers to query them in the Clearinghouse
- Companies must conduct pre-employment queries into the Clearinghouse to ensure that drivers are not prohibited from driving
- Companies must conduct annual queries into the Clearinghouse to ensure drivers continue to not be prohibited from driving
- Companies are required to report any positive test or refusal to the Clearinghouse.
New York State imposes a highway use tax (HUT) on motor carriers operating certain motor vehicles on New York State public highways (excluding toll-paid portions of the New York State Thruway). The tax rate is based on the weight of the motor vehicle and the method that you choose to report the tax. For more information, please see the attached handout regarding the highway use tax, or go to: https://www.tax.ny.gov/bus/hut/huidx.htm.
Truckers Against TraffickingAlso attached an informational brochure from Truckers Against Trafficking, an organization that is dedicated to combating human trafficking by raising awareness about the issue within the transportation industry. As a motor carrier, you and your drivers are invaluable in the fight against human trafficking. Trafficking is an illegal form of modern-day slavery and involves the use of force or coercion to compel victims to perform labor or commercial sex acts for the trafficker. Victims often do not come forward out of fear of revenge, language barriers, or fear of law enforcement. These crimes have been reported throughout the country, and the number of victims in the United States alone is estimated in the hundreds of thousands. The trucking industry is in a unique position to make a difference by being vigilant in watching for human trafficking activities at rest stops, restaurants, and along our nation’s highways. Please consider training your drivers in what to look for and encourage them to join the thousands of truckers nationwide who are helping to put an end to these terrible crimes. Information and training materials are available free of charge by visiting www.truckersagainsttrafficking.org. If you suspect human trafficking, please call 911 or the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888. Make the call. Save lives.
Gregory Mayr
Motor Carrier Investigator
Motor Carrier Compliance Bureau
New York State Department of Transportation
4 Burnett Boulevard, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603
(518) 928-0984 │ Gregory.Mayr@dot.ny.gov