If you are trying to find out who sent you this DOT compliance letter, it is probably one of the leading DOT compliance groups or third-party administrators. This is not just a marketing campaign but also an exercise to keep every legal and commercial entity that is governed by the federal motor carrier safety administration and the US department of transportation aware of the various legalities, protocols, rules, and regulations that they need to fulfill to stay compliant throughout the year. If you have received a DOT compliance letter in your inbox, there is no need to panic. Take it as a reminder or a notification from your well-wisher. If you are a trucking company, you should take this seriously yet in a very positive stride. This is like a cautionary message that aims to educate you on your filings and requirements regularly so that you can keep your business DOT compliant always.
What To Do When You Receive A DOT Compliance Letter?
Some people want to call it a DOT compliance “scam” but that is not the case at all. These letters are sent by legit DOT compliance groups and you should consider them as a source of information and a way to educate your drivers and safety-sensitive position holders. More often than not, these letters contain a lot of insights and information related to the various developments that are happening in your industry and the rules that may have been amended, changed, or reinforced by the Government and Federal authorities as well.
Obtaining A US DOT Number After Getting A DOT Compliance Letter
In many cases, the DOT compliance letter that trucking companies receive works as a reminder for them to obtain their US DOT number. You should obtain it too if the following apply to you and your business:
For Intrastate Commerce
- When your vehicle is used in the transportation of hazardous materials that require a safety permit, you are required to obtain a US DOT number
- If you drive a vehicle that has a gross weight rating or a combination weight rating of more than 10,000 pounds, which is to say 4536 kg, you are required to obtain this number
- If your vehicle is used to transport more than 8 passengers and that includes the driver for compensation, or if it is designed to transport more than 15 passengers, including the driver but it is not used for compensation, then you are required to obtain this number
For Interstate Commerce
- If you are involved in trade or transportation in the United States and deal within a city in the country and a place located outside of the United States, you are required to obtain your US DOT number
- Let’s say that you drive a vehicle for interstate business through another state or perhaps a place that is located outside of the United States, you are required to obtain this number
Complying With Federal Regulations
As a motor carrier operator and/or driver, it is your responsibility to know and understand the applicable federal motor carrier safety regulations. By doing that, you will save lives and protect property at every touchpoint where your drivers and safety-sensitive position holders function. Getting started with your registration with the federal motor carrier safety administration is going to be the first step.
The FMCSA ensures that your company complies with all its regulations. As an entity working in this industry, you may be subject to registration requirements both for safety purposes and commercial regulation as well. If you are required to fulfill safety requirements, you must obtain your US DOT number without fail. If you are only aiming for the FMCSA registration, you will have to define the type of business operation that you are in. You could be a motor carrier, a broker, a cargo tank, or probably an intermodal equipment provider, a freight forwarder, or anything else.
New Entrant Registration And Your US DOT Number
The requirements for a new carrier that wants to register with the FMCSA for the first time will be somewhat similar. If you are a brand-new motor carrier, you will be known as a new entrant. Your new entrant status is going to last 18 months. This is going to include your initial FMCSA compliance review which is also called your audit. It will be carried out in the first 12 months. You will be required to register through the unified registration system. For this, you will have to make use of the following documents:
- Your EIN which is your employer identification number
- Your SSN which is your social security number
- Dun and Bradstreet number, if available
- Name of your company officers with titles
- Proof of financial responsibility registration with the FMCSA, if applicable
- Proof of process agent filings, if applicable
After completing your registration, you will receive your official US DOT number. This will be in the form of a letter. You can use your official pin to log into the FMCSA portal. There will be a few initial instructions as well that you will have to follow to stay compliant throughout the year.
Updating Your US DOT Number Regularly
People usually find this task a little too complicated. They want it to be over as soon as possible. That’s why when it comes to maintaining their US DOT number and all the information related to it, they choose the services of a third-party administrator. If there is any information attached to your existing US DOT number that you want to update, you should do it at least every other year. This can be a change in your vehicle counts, the commodities that you haul, the number of drivers that you hire, and also the annual mileage.
You must update your US DOT number in a particular month and year. The same is reflected by your US DOT number itself. For example, if your US DOT number ends in an even number, you will be filing your update in every even number year such as 2024 or 2026. The second to last digit of your US DOT number is going to denote the month that corresponds to that number. For example, 1 is for January and 2 is for February.
Final Thoughts
Obtaining your US DOT number and fulfilling the various compliance requirements attached to it is not only necessary to remain compliant but also important when you are trying to expand your operations into the United States. If you are an outsider and want to do business with the US Federal Agencies and the US government, a US DOT number is mandatory. Connect with your third-party administrator to understand this better.
