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Step by Step Guide to Getting Your USDOT Number

1. Determine If You Need a USDOT Number

The first question you need to answer is whether or not you need to file a USDOT application. Most carriers do, but a few are exempt. Take a look at the check list below to find out if you need a USDOT number. Motor carriers are required to complete USDOT registration:

  • They are engaged in interstate travel

AND

  • Operate vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds
  • Transport 9 to 15 passengers (including driver) for compensation
  • Transport 16 or more passengers (including driver) not for compensation
  • Transport hazardous materials (HazMat)

If none of these apply to your business, then you may only need register with your local jurisdiction (state office) instead of filing a USDOT application.

2. Make Sure You Have the Necessary Information

The USDOT application is pretty straight-forward, but you’ll need to know some basic information about your business. Aside from your name, address, etc. you will be required to fill out the following:

  • Company Operation
  • Operation Classification
  • Cargo Classification
  • HazMatClassification (if applicable)
  • Number of Vehicles
  • Type of Vehicles
  • Ownership of Vehicles (own, term lease, trip lease)
  • Driver Status (intrastate, interstate, total drivers, total CDL drivers)

3. Download Proper USDOT Application Form or File Online

There are three different USDOT application forms. You need to fill out the right form for your business. The forms are:

  • MCS-150 (basic form for almost all carriers)
  • MCS-150B (combination USDOT number and HazMat application)
  • MCS-150C (combination USDOT number and Intermodal Equipment Provider application)

If you file your USDOT application online through the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s online portal, the system will choose the proper form for you.

4. Fill Out Form and Send It In or File Your Online USDOT Registration

Once you’ve fully filled out the proper paperwork, you must mail it to the FMCSA at the following address: FMCSA Attention: USDOT Number Application 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE Washington, DC 20590

There is no fee to file for your USDOT registration.

USDOT Number FAQ

How long does it take to get my USDOT number?

USDOT registration is processed immediately, and USDOT numbers are issued instantly (unless rejected). By-mail USDOT applications take four to six weeks processing time. By-mail applications that are unreadable, incomplete or unsigned will be rejected and returned without the issuance of a USDOT number.

Why does online USDOT application want my credit card information? I thought I didn’t have to pay for this.

The FMCSA is now using credit card information to validate your identity. Don’t worry, they’re not going to charge you for your USDOT number.

What if I don’t have a credit card? Can I still apply online?

No. The FMCSA is now using this information as your digital signature. If you cannot submit valid credit card information, you will need to print the proper forms and send them by mail.

Can I use someone else’s credit card to pay for my USDOT registration?

No. The FMCSA uses credit card information to identify individuals. The only exception to this general rule is if an agent is filing a USDOT registration for a client. In this case, the agent may use his or her information.

What is an Intermodal Equipment Provider?

Intermodal Equipment refers to equipment used to transport cargo through multiple methods of transportation. When cargo comes off a ship and is loaded onto a truck, and that truck delivers the cargo to a rail yard where it is loaded onto a train, then you have conducted intermodal transportation. Beginning in 2009, the FMCSA expanded its regulatory influence to include Intermodal Equipment Providers, companies that provide intermodal chassis that are used to transport cargo from one carrier to another. An intermodal chassis can be pre-loaded with containers, and when a carrier arrives all they need to do is hook up their truck to the chassis. The carrier can then transport the chassis to a new location, unhook the chassis, and transfer the cargo to another company. These intermodal chassis and other equipment are often leased by an Intermodal Equipment Provider.

What are the different types of cargo recognized on the MCS-150?

  • General Freight
  • Household goods
  • Metal (sheets, coils, rolls)
  • Motor vehicles
  • Drive away/towaway
  • Logs, poles, beams, lumber
  • Building materials
  • Mobile homes
  • Machinery, large objects
  • Fresh produce
  • Liquids/gases
  • Intermodal cont.
  • Passengers
  • Oil field equipment
  • Livestock
  • Grain, feed, hay
  • Coal/coke
  • Meta
  • Garbage, refuse, trash
  • US mail
  • Chemicals
  • Commodities dry bulk
  • Refrigerated food
  • Beverages
  • Paper product
  • Utility
  • Farm supplies
  • Construction
  • Water well
  • Other
  • Explosives (with mass explosion/projection/fire/no significant blast/etc.)
  • Flammable gas
  • Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)
  • Methane gas
  • Non-flammable compressed gas
  • Anhydrous ammonia
  • Poison gas which is poison inhalation hazard (PIH)
  • Poison gas which is PIH Zone B/C/D
  • Class 3/3A/3B Flammable and Combustible Liquid
  • Combustible liquid
  • Flammable solid
  • Spontaneously combustible material
  • Dangerous when wet material
  • Oxidizer
  • Organic peroxide
  • Infectious substance
  • Poisonous liquid which is a PIH Zone A/ZoneB
  • Poison (liquid with no inhalation hazard)
  • Poisonous solid
  • Radioactive materials
  • Highway Route Controlled Quantity of Radioactive Material (HRCQ)
  • Class 8/8A/8B Corrosive Material
  • Class 9 Miscellaneous HazMat
  • Elevated temperature material
  • Infectious waste
  • Marine pollutants
  • Hazardous Sub (RQ)
  • Hazardous waste
  • Other Regulated Material (ORM)

What are the different types of hazardous materials recognized on the MCS-150?

  • Explosives (with mass explosion/projection/fire/no significant blast/etc.)
  • Flammable gas
  • Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG)
  • Methane gas
  • Non-flammable compressed gas
  • Anhydrous ammonia
  • Poison gas which is poison inhalation hazard (PIH)
  • Poison gas which is PIH Zone B/C/D
  • Class 3/3A/3B Flammable and Combustible Liquid
  • Combustible liquid
  • Flammable solid
  • Spontaneously combustible material
  • Dangerous when wet material
  • Oxidizer
  • Organic peroxide
  • Infectious substance
  • Poisonous liquid which is a PIH Zone A/Zone B
  • Poison (liquid with no inhalation hazard)
  • Poisonous solid
  • Radioactive materials
  • Highway Route Controlled Quantity of Radioactive Material (HRCQ)
  • Class 8/8A/8B Corrosive Material
  • Class 9 Miscellaneous HazMat
  • Elevated temperature material
  • Infectious waste
  • Marine pollutants
  • Hazardous Sub (RQ)
  • Hazardous waste
  • Other Regulated Material (ORM)

I am based in Mexico. How do I complete my USDOT registration?

All Mexico-based carriers are required to obtain specific operating authority, regardless of what they transport. For this reason, online USDOT registration is not possible. Mexico-based carriers will need to download and file a MCS-150 and an OP1-(MX) form. Forms will be sent to the FMCSA. You can also apply over the phone by calling the FMCSA at 1-800-832-5660.

I am an intrastate company, and I do not carry hazardous materials. My cargo and vehicle do not leave my state. Do I still need a USDOT number?

This depends on your state and the cargo you carry. In many states, the answer is yes. In other states, depending on your cargo, you may only need a state identification number. Contact the Department of Motor Vehicles in your home state to determine what kind of identification you will need.

I operate both for-hire and private carrier. Will I be able to operate once I have finished my USDOT registration?

You can operate as a private motor carrier with a USDOT number (unless you are transporting HazMat). You cannot operate as an interstate for-hire motor carrier until you have been approved for operating authority (active MC number).

I do not yet have my operating authority. Can I lease my services to a for-hire company with operating rights?

Yes, leasing your services is allowed. You must comply with FMCSR Section 376.11 of the law.

A Layman’s Translation of USDOT Terminology

Carrier

The person/company that “carries” goods, either by truck, airline, train or ship.

DBA (Doing Business As)

Sometimes companies want to register a legal name with a state but operate under a different name. This is known as your DBA name or your Fictitious Name. It is illegal to operate under a different name unless you have registered your DBA properly.

Dun and Bradstreet Number

A D&B number is a commercial credit history rating issued by the company Dun and Bradstreet. If you’ve just formed your company, you won’t have a D&B, since you have no commercial credit history.

Exempt For-Hire

A transporter who gets paid to ship only goods that are not regulated by the FMCSA.

For-Hire

A motor carrier who gets paid to transport goods or passengers.

Freight forwarder

Similar to a broker, a freight forwarder generally offers more services to clients. Forwarders can assemble and consolidate shipments, break large shipments apart into smaller shipments, store cargo, prepare bills of lading, manage Customs clearance, and negotiate freight rates with shipping lines.

Hazmat

Shorthand for Hazardous Materials.

Household Goods

Private property being shipped from one residence to another for the purpose of being used in the home. When you hire a moving company to transport your furniture to your new home, they are transporting Household Goods. This same furniture, however, if it were being shipped to Costco to be sold to the public, would not qualify as Household Goods.

Interstate vs Intrastate

It is easy to confuse these terms, especially when saying them aloud. An INTERstate hauler is someone who engages in transporting between multiple states. If you (or your cargo) crosses a state line, you are an interstate carrier. INTRAstate carriers, on the other hand, move entirely within a single state. They and their cargo never cross state lines.

MC and MX

These designations refer to your operating authority number, which you will not yet have if you are only just beginning your company. In the future, you will list your MC or MX number when filing the MCS-150 as part of your biennial reports. MC numbers are assigned to US carriers. MX numbers are assigned to Mexico-based carriers operating in the US.

Principal Address

This is the address where your safety records are stored. This cannot be a mailing address. When the FMCSA wants to do a safety audit, this is the address they’ll show up at.

Private Carrier

Company that ships and transports only its own goods (ie: WalMart, Coca-Cola, etc.)

Private Passengers (Business)

This is a for-profit company that provides interstate transportation of passengers to support its main business. A good example of this is a casino that offers a shuttle service that crosses state lines. The shuttle is not the main source of income, but it supports the main business.

Private Passengers (Non-Business)

This is a not-for-profit company that provides interstate transportation of passengers to support its main business. A good example of this is a YMCA that transports kids to youth programs.

Shipper

The person/company sending goods to someone else. The shipper is not generally the person who actually moves goods. Rather, they hire someone (a carrier) to transport goods for them.