It seems like truckers can’t go a day without some sort of scam popping up via text or email. The latest phone calls on the topic coming into OOIDA headquarters are questioning an email regarding MCS-150.
The red flags with this particular email are plentiful. A couple of quick Google searches will tell you pretty much all you need to know. The address given for U.S. Carriers’ Safety and Compliance office isn’t a real business address. The phone number comes back flagged for robocall scams.
But that isn’t where the red flags stop. One invoice forwarded to OOIDA’s Compliance Department is charging $369 for the filing – even though motor carriers can file their own MCS-150s for free. OOIDA charges a small fee for assisting members with the filing if they call in needing help.
The real kicker is that the invoice simply seeks payment. There is nowhere in the email or on the form to update your motor carrier information.
OOIDA’s Permits and Licensing Department, which assists members with MCS-150 filings among other things, said it’s not uncommon to talk to members who paid a scammer and find out months later their motor carrier information was not updated. The member then has to start the process to get compliant with the filing requirement all over again.
The OOIDA Foundation put out an alert late last year detailing a number of additional red flags that can tip you off to a scam email or test.
Who has to file an MCS-150 and when?
All motor carriers based in the U.S., Canada or Mexico that operate in interstate commerce are required to file an MCS-150. According to 390.19T, when you are required to file the form is determined by the last two digits of your U.S. DOT number.
If the next-to-last digit is an odd number, the motor carrier is required to file in odd years. Even numbers are to file in even years. The last number determines what month you must file the form.
1 – January
2 – February
3 – March
4 – April
5 – May
6 – June
7 – July
8 – August
9 – September
0 – October
As always, OOIDA’s Permits & Licensing Department is available to help members sort out whether they are compliant with the MCS-150 requirement. LL
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