When it comes to compliance with regulations, truck drivers are often the focus. But what can a trucker do if a trucking company, broker or ELD provider is failing to follow the rules?
That’s where the National Consumer Complaint Database comes in. And the good news is that the website has recently been updated with the intention of providing truckers a reliable platform to inform the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration about bad actors.
The new NCCDB provides commercial motor vehicle drivers the opportunity to file complaints against moving companies, trucking companies, bus companies, substance abuse professionals, electronic logging device providers and property brokers.
“This overdue tech upgrade is a win for drivers, carriers and the driving public,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a news release. “The modernized database will make it easier to file complaints, access digital tools and empower individuals to speak up about unsafe practices. With your support, we will continue to take bad actors off the roads to keep the American people safe.”
Broker transparency
A noteworthy update is that NCCDB specifically mentions that truck drivers can submit complaints against brokers who fail to comply with transparency regulations.
“Is your complaint about a property broker? This could include a property broker failing to maintain transaction records or financial accounts with the required information, failing to maintain FMCSA registration or insurance, misrepresenting services or conducting improper rebating or compensation practices,” FMCSA wrote on the website.
Regulation 371.3 requires brokers to keep records of each transaction. Even more, each party to an individual transaction has the right to review the record. However, many brokers get around the regulation by requiring carriers to waive that right.
Truck drivers have complained for years that FMCSA has failed to enforce this regulation. In 2020, the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association petitioned the agency to strengthen existing broker transparency rules.
FMCSA issued a notice of proposed rulemaking in 2024, but the new administration is expected to release an updated proposal in May 2026. Until then, however, truck drivers will have a place to inform the agency about brokers who are not complying with current regulations.
Pro-Trucker Package
In June, the U.S. Department of Transportation unveiled nine “Pro-Trucker” initiatives. One of those initiatives was to modernize the National Consumer Complaint Database. At the time, the DOT announced that the NCCDB was being migrated to a modern customer service platform to be user-friendly and mobile-friendly. The first updates were scheduled to be completed by Sept. 30, and the department has met that deadline.
The initiative was a welcome one, as OOIDA has complained to FMCSA for years that the website needed an overhaul.
OOIDA told the agency that the NCCDB has been unresponsive of truck drivers’ complaints, difficult to use and in need of a new name.
“Many drivers are also unaware that the NCCDB is available for them to report violations of commercial regulations, nor are they aware that other complaints can be handled through the NCCDB,” OOIDA wrote in July. “We believe ongoing NCCDB changes can be supplemented simply by changing the name of the system. Possible suggestions for a more logical name would be the ‘National Truck Safety Hotline’ or the ‘Truck Safety and Compliance Hotline.’ A new, more practical name would help raise the platform’s awareness among professional truckers and improve its utilization.”
Phase two of the update, which is expected to be completed in the coming months, will introduce additional functionality and performance improvements. Maybe most importantly, however, the DOT announced that it will also introduce a new name for the database. LL
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