The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has issued an alert that, effective immediately, a copy of a company officer’s own driver’s license must accompany the filing of MCS-150/150B/150Cand/or MCSA 5889 Forms. FMCSA is taking this step to combat fraudulent applications. This new requirement is effective for each of the applications listed below:
The MCS-150 form is used to update a USDOT number. (Initial registration for a USDOT number must still be made through the Unified Registration System (URS)).
The MCS-150B form combines the motor carrier identification report with the hazardous materials safety permit application.
The MCS-150C form is for intermodal equipment provider (IEP) registrations and updates.
The MCSA-5889 form can be used to submit requests for operating authority name and address changes, and also to request reinstatement of an operating authority.
ICSA reached out to the FMCSA Office of Registration for clarity: The agency is not requesting a copy of everyone’s driver’s license on the company payroll! Only one driver’s license copy is needed, from one of the company principals listed as "sole proprietor, partners or officers" on these forms. That is, from someone with authority to make decisions for the company.
Fraud is a real threat in trucking, with annual losses of over $1 billion reported from activities such as double-brokering and cargo theft by criminals impersonating legitimate truckers and brokers. Some of that fraudulent activity grew out of falsified applications to FMCSA for motor carrier or broker authority and USDOT numbers. Now FMCSA seeks to ensure that the companies filing registration forms are who they say they are.
Every year, TAT (formerly called Truckers Against Trafficking) honors a member of the trucking, bus or energy industry, whose direct actions help save or improve the lives of those exploited or prevent human trafficking from taking place, with the Harriet Tubman Award
Bob Costello has indicated that the freight market has improved – but very slowly – since January. It must be said that ATA’s indices are dominated by contract freight as opposed to spot rates.
Now, however, with Republican control of both houses of Congress and the White House (and, some say, the Supreme Court) I am optimistic that trucking will get a fairer shake than it has during Biden’s term in office.