- As a reminder, companies are required to be registered with the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) Program each year if they operate across state lines. 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 1-2 vehicles is $41 for 2023, and registration is valid through December 31 of each year. To complete this registration in the future, carriers can go to:https://plan.ucr.gov/. Failure to pay this fee each year can lead to significant monetary fines up to $10,000.
- Companies that utilize commercial motor vehicles that require a commercial driver’s license to operate must require drivers to submit to controlled substance and alcohol testing. Companies will need to get enrolled with a consortium to conduct random testing as required. A consortium is responsible for randomly selecting drivers for controlled substance and alcohol testing. Carriers must work with the Consortium to ensure that the information they have concerning company drivers is up to date:
- When companies hire a new driver, the company must alert the Consortium so they can send him/her for a pre-employment test and add him/her to the company’s random testing pool.
- When a driver leaves a company’s service, the company must alert the consortium so they can remove the driver from the random testing pool.
- When a company driver is involved in a reportable crash, the company must alert the Consortium so they can send the driver for a post-accident test.
- Companies that utilize commercial motor vehicles that require a commercial driver’s license to operate must also utilize FMCSA’s Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse to verify company drivers’ operating privileges. This is a relatively new requirement that launched in January 2020, and requires all carriers who employ CDL drivers to register and query with the Clearinghouse to ensure their drivers have a clean drug and alcohol testing history. For Information about Clearinghouse registration requirements visit: https://clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov/Learn. If carriers have specific Clearinghouse related questions, direct them to call 1-800-724-2811 or send an email to clearinghouse@dot.gov. 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.
- Also 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.
- Carriers are required to update their company information with the USDOT at least once every two years, known as the Biennial Update. The form to make this update is called an MCS-150. Biennial updates are a common subject of spam directed at carriers, as they charge a modest fee to perform a simple task online on behalf of the carrier. Companies can make changes to their USDOT registrations 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.
- You should now be able to edit the information on the MCS-150 in the following pages.
- There is a system in place for companies to challenge violations issued on roadside inspections. This process may lead to a violation being removed from a Driver/Vehicle Examination Report, but will not automatically dismiss any citations issued along with the violations. Companies may access this system by visiting: https://dataqs.fmcsa.dot.gov/. Any challenges made to the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse may also be made through this system.
- If companies have questions regarding particular violations issued on the roadside inspection report, they can reach out to the phone number listed in the upper left hand corner of the report. This number is different based on the location of the inspection, and will direct callers to the supervising inspector for the area. For general questions regarding regulations, companies can reach out to 518-485-1010.
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