The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has rolled out its new registration system, Motus. However, motor carriers have encountered some early roadblocks.
Crystal Minardi, of OOIDA’s Permits and Licensing Department, told Land Line that carriers were unable to claim their USDOT number in Motus on Tuesday, May 19. That means carriers weren’t able to complete any changes, including MCS-150 updates, address changes, reinstatements or any other updates in the system.
“Until carriers are able to successfully claim their USDOT number in Motus, all account changes and updates remain unavailable,” Minardi said.
FMCSA informed OOIDA on the morning of Wednesday, May 20, that Motus’ claim functionality problems had been resolved.
Assuming that the DOT number problem is now in the rearview mirror, FMCSA will begin addressing reports that operating authorities have not been displaying accurately in Motus.
Additionally, OOIDA has received several calls from members struggling to complete the ID verification process. If help is still needed, carriers can contact the FMCSA Registration Contact Center at 800-832-5560. Additional assistance can also be found at FMCSA’s webpage for ID Verification Enrollment Centers.
Why is a new registration system needed?
Once the kinks are worked out, FMCSA believes that Motus will be more user-friendly and help motor carriers combat fraud.
For starters, Motus’ verification system will help determine that registered entities are “who they say they are” and that they are “legitimate, legal” businesses.
“Dangerous foreign drivers and the shell companies who employ them have been taking advantage of this lax, decrepit federal registration system for years,” Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said. “The lack of accountability is disturbing, and it’s killed American families on our roads. Thanks to President Trump, we are delivering a new registration system that will stop fraud dead in its tracks and strengthen oversight on shady carriers. And for good, honest drivers who follow the rules – our new system will improve customer service, enhance reliability and cut down on red tape.”
According to FMCSA, Motus will improve service and oversight through:
- Enhanced fraud prevention and ID verification: Improved validation and verification tools aim to prevent bad actors from exploiting the registration process.
- Streamlined user experience: Motus will serve as a one-stop shop, allowing users to complete multiple registration activities.
- Improved data quality and system reliability: The modernized system promises to improve accuracy, consistency and accessibility of registration data.
- Better support for enforcement and safety oversight: Enhanced data tools aim to help FMCSA identify unsafe operators and strengthen oversight of high-risk carriers.
- Scalable, modern technology: The updated system positions the agency to adapt more effectively.
“FMCSA’s registration modernization effort represents a major advancement in how the agency oversees and supports the commercial motor vehicle industry,” said FMCSA Administrator Derek Barrs. “This system improves efficiency for legitimate carriers while strengthening FMCSA’s ability to detect fraud, improve data quality and identify unsafe operators.”
Guidance, training resources and customer support are available through FMCSA’s website and by calling the agency’s contact center. Motor carriers seeking to register will need a Login.gov account before accessing Motus. If they already had access to the FMCSA Portal via Login.gov, they must use the same account to access all their data. LL
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