DOT UPDATES
Plain-English notes on the regulatory changes that actually affect new motor carriers — FMCSA registration, the Motus system, drug & alcohol rules, and more. Every update links to the official source.
July 5, 2026
New carriers are being mailed official-looking “U.S. DOT Clearinghouse Mandate” letters demanding you call and pay to comply. It’s a third-party solicitation — not a government notice. Here’s how to tell.
June 20, 2026
FMCSA’s new Motus: USDOT Registration System launches to all carriers in May 2026, and FMCSA has proposed phasing out separate MC numbers. Here’s what is actually changing — and what is not.
June 15, 2026
FMCSA audits every new carrier within 12 months of starting operations. The #1 automatic failure is not having a drug & alcohol testing program in place.
Drug & alcohol program, Clearinghouse queries, and driver qualification files — handled, so you pass your New Entrant Safety Audit.
Enroll in the consortiumFMCSA official tool
FMCSA has a free official wizard that asks a few questions about your operation and tells you exactly which USDOT registration and operating authority you need. It opens in a new tab, so this checklist stays right here as your reference.
Opens fmcsa.dot.gov in a new tab — an official .gov tool. We don’t collect anything from it.
