DOT biennial update

DOT biennial update

All commercial motor vehicles must report their information to the federal motor carrier safety administration (FMCSA) on a biennial basis (every two years). If you operate a vehicle under the FMCSA's supervision, you must keep your business in operation and therefore update your details every two years. Even if nothing significant has changed at your firm, the Department of Transportation demands you submit this report since they want to be sure they have the most up-to-date and relevant information on your company's operations.

As part of the registration you will have to provide basic information such as:

• Your first and last name

• USDOT number

• Your address

• Phone number

• Company operation

• Operation classification

• Cargo classification

• Hazardous materials (if you carry any at all)

• Information about your drivers and vehicles

What is the penalties for failure to complete the MCS 150 Biennial update?

• If you do not submit your biennial report promptly, the FMCSA has the power to deactivate your DOT Number.

• You may also be charged a fine of $1,000 per day and a maximum permissible penalty of $10,000 - which can be a serious financial burden for your company.

For those reasons it is better to complete a biennial update as required and follow the FMCSA guidelines. Do not wait until the last day to submit your MCS 150 form, since you do not want to be pulled over by a police officer if you are not in compliance.

What if im no longer in business?

To cancel your DOT number, you must submit an out of business form. The DOT number will not expire on its own; rather, it will continue to be registered under your name until you formally request to deactivate it.

When should i file my USDOT biennial update?

The department of transportation have made it easy for truck drivers to know about when to file their USDOT biennial update.

When the next-to-last digit of the DOT Number is odd, the carrier must submit an update in each odd-numbered year, and if it is even, then in each even-numbered year. The month when the DOT Number is due is represented by the last number; 1: January, 2: February, 0: October.

For example, if your USDOT number is: 123456

You will file your MCS -150 registration form during the month of June every odd numbered year (2023, 2025, 2027...)

few things to remember:

• It is also critical to keep track of this information since it must be sent to the FMCSA within 30 days after ANY change in operation between filing dates (e.g., new address, phone number, driver or vehicle changes, or operations modifications).

• If you make any modifications without informing the FMCSA, you risk fines and even having your DOT Number revoked.

• Regardless of whether you've previously submitted a biennial update, you must submit another updated report when the due date arrives and update every other year base on your DOT number.

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Operating without an authority

The FMSCA can force you out of service if you are working without operating authority or beyond the scope of your authority. You may be fined as well. You can contact up to make sure you have the right authority registered for your business.

What should i do if my DOT was deactivated?

Several reasons might have led to your status being deactivated, such as unpaid International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) taxes, failure to file required biennial updates, and so on. If your USDOT was deactivated we will file the right documentation to try reactivate it asap.

How do i file my MCS 150 Biennial update?

With American carrier compliance it is very simple.

You need a U.S. DOT Number.

• Remember, your renewal date will correspond with the last digit of your U.S. DOT Number. You can contact us before your renewal so we can email you the information we need from you to complete your filing.

• As a part of the trucking industry, you need to keep track of all your information and update it regularly. You will also need to write the mills you have traveled.

UCR

If you are operating as an INTERstate commerce you will also need to pay UCR registration fee. This is an annual registration and the fee is determined base on your fleet size.

INTERstate defined by the cargo you carry. If the cargo coming from out of your state or going out of the state you will need to be registered for an INTERstate commerce operation.

Bottomline

It may sound a bit to much to follow the compliance especially when you trying to concentrate on driving a truck and this is why we at American Carrier Compliance have made all those resources available to you. Please just call us and we will make it all very simple for you to comply with.