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DOT Compliance
Driver files, drug and alcohol testing, filings and deadlines, tracked and handled before they turn into violations.
Why it matters
Compliance is cheaper than the alternative, every time
Nobody gets into trucking because they enjoy driver qualification files. But the math on this is not close. A compliance service runs about the cost of one tank of fuel a month. A failed new entrant audit revokes your authority. An out of service order parks the truck. A missed biennial update deactivates your USDOT number, and you find out when a broker cannot set you up.
We track what is due, collect what is needed, file what is required and tell you before a deadline rather than after. When an audit does come, the file is ready, which is the entire point.
Important: we provide compliance support services. We are not attorneys and this is not legal advice. Final responsibility for compliance with FMCSA regulations rests with you as the motor carrier. See our Compliance Disclaimer.
What we manage
- Driver qualification files, built and maintained
- Employment verification and MVR ordering
- Medical certificate tracking and expiry alerts
- Drug and alcohol consortium enrollment
- Random testing pool administration
- FMCSA Clearinghouse queries
- Hours of service and ELD record review
- MCS-150 biennial updates
- UCR annual registration
- Annual vehicle inspection tracking
- Accident register maintenance
- Audit preparation and document assembly
Deadline calendar
What is due, when, and what happens if it is missed
These are the filings and renewals that catch small carriers out. We track every one of them for compliance clients.
| Requirement | Frequency or deadline | Consequence if missed |
|---|---|---|
| MCS-150 biennial update | Every 2 years by assigned month | Deactivation of USDOT number |
| UCR registration | Annually, opens October 1 | Fines and roadside enforcement |
| IFTA quarterly return | Apr 30, Jul 31, Oct 31, Jan 31 | Penalties, interest, license revocation |
| IRP apportioned plate renewal | Annually by state schedule | Expired plate, out of service |
| Form 2290 heavy vehicle use tax | By Aug 31 for the July to June year | Registration hold at the state |
| Annual DOT vehicle inspection | Every 12 months per vehicle | Out of service violation |
| Driver medical certificate | Per examiner, up to 24 months | Driver disqualification |
| MVR review for each driver | Annually | Violation at audit |
| Drug and alcohol random testing | Per consortium schedule | Serious violation, acute finding |
| Clearinghouse annual query | Annually per driver | Violation and penalties |
| Insurance filing on file | Continuous, no lapse | Authority revocation |
| New entrant safety audit | Within first 12 months | Authority revoked if failed |
Deadlines and requirements shown here are general guidance current at this page's update date. Federal and state requirements change. Always verify against FMCSA and your state agency, or ask us to confirm for your specific operation.
New entrant
Surviving your first 18 months
New carriers operate under a safety assurance period and face an audit within the first 12 months. This is where a large number of new authorities quietly die.
Authority active
MC and USDOT issued, BOC-3 filed, insurance on file. The clock on your new entrant period starts here.
Build the file
Driver qualification files, drug and alcohol program, maintenance records and hours of service system set up correctly from day one.
Operate clean
Inspections, logs and maintenance records tracked continuously. Roadside violations during this period carry extra weight.
Pass the audit
We assemble the documents, walk you through what the auditor asks, and make sure nothing is missing before the day arrives.
Driver files
What belongs in a driver qualification file
This is the single most common finding at audit, and it is entirely avoidable. Every driver, including an owner operator driving their own truck, needs a complete file.
- Completed and signed employment application
- Motor vehicle record from each state licensed in the past three years
- Annual MVR review and annual driving record certification
- Employment verification from previous employers, three years back
- Road test certificate or equivalent CDL documentation
- Current medical examiner certificate
- Drug and alcohol pre employment test result
- Clearinghouse pre employment and annual query records
- Record of violations certification
The drug and alcohol program
Every carrier with a CDL driver, including a single owner operator, must participate in a compliant testing program. Being the only driver does not exempt you.
- Enrollment in a consortium or third party administrator pool
- Pre employment testing before the first dispatch
- Random testing at federally set rates
- Post accident testing where the criteria are met
- Reasonable suspicion and return to duty procedures
- Clearinghouse registration, queries and reporting
- Supervisor training where applicable
We enroll you, administer the pool and keep the records, so a random selection does not become a scramble.
Compliance questions
Common ones
I am the only driver. Do I really need all this?
Yes. The regulations apply to the motor carrier, and a one truck operation is a motor carrier. You need a driver qualification file on yourself, enrollment in a drug and alcohol testing program, hours of service records and everything else. Auditors do not make exceptions for fleet size.
What triggers an audit?
New entrants get one automatically within the first 12 months. After that, a poor safety rating, a high roadside violation rate, a serious crash or a complaint can trigger one. Some are also random.
Do you guarantee I will pass?
No, and nobody honestly can. We prepare your files properly, tell you where you are exposed and get the documentation in order. Whether you pass depends on your actual operation, not just the paperwork.
What if I am already behind?
Start anyway. Most findings are correctable, and a carrier making a genuine effort to come into compliance is in a very different position from one that ignored it. Call us and we will tell you honestly where you stand.
Are you a law firm?
No. We provide compliance support and filing services. We are not attorneys, we do not give legal advice, and we do not represent carriers in enforcement proceedings. If your situation needs a lawyer, we will say so.
Can I get compliance without dispatch?
Yes. Compliance is available on its own for fleets that dispatch themselves, starting at $99 per month.
Keep the wheels turning
Tell us what you run, where you run it and what you want to earn. We will tell you honestly what we can do for you.