The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), an agency of the Department of Transportation (DOT), oversees nearly 600,000 motor carriers and millions of commercial drivers across the U.S. The agency is responsible for ensuring carriers comply with regulations. DOT regulations cover driver qualifications, hours of service (HOS), vehicle maintenance requirements, drug and alcohol testing, cargo securement, accident reporting, and insurance requirements. The FMCSA performs DOT audits to ensure regulatory compliance. Regulatory violations can result in fines, penalties, downgraded safe ..read more

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has announced plans to revamp its registration system to improve security, combat fraud, and streamline customer experience for motor carriers, brokers, and freight forwarders. “Obviously, we’ve had our registration system in its current form for many years,” said Tom Keane, associate administrator of the Office of Research & Registration at FMCSA. “It was robust when it was originally designed, but it’s become very dated over the years, and we need to modernize.” With the FMCSA revamp, several changes will be implemented, including r ..read more

Two years ago, New Jersey introduced legislation to raise its minimum Trucking Liability insurance limits to $1.5 million, double the current FMCSA requirement of $750,000. The state law was approved and signed by Governor Phil Murphy in January 2024. The increased minimum trucking liability insurance requirements will take effect July 1, 2024, and apply to commercial vehicles in excess of 26,000 lbs. Insurance premiums for the additional coverage could increase significantly. The law has faced strong opposition from trade groups such as American Trucking Associations (ATA), the New Jersey Mot ..read more

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) recently issued an alert for motor carriers where cybercriminals are posing as agency auditors via email to obtain information and gain unauthorized access to their FMCSA accounts. Once the bad actors gain access, they can change the information and impersonate carriers and other entities to engage in fraudulent freight transactions. This scam is called phishing and is defined as a technique used to acquire sensitive data through fraudulent solicitation in an email or on a website. The perpetrators masquerade as a legitimate business, age ..read more

With the sun setting comes additional risks for truckers driving at night. Visibility is reduced, making it more challenging to see the road, other vehicles, and obstacles. Depth perception, color recognition, and peripheral vision can all be compromised in the dark. The glare of headlights from an oncoming vehicle can also temporarily blind a driver. In addition, as we age, we have greater difficulty seeing at night. A 50-year-old driver may need twice as much light to see as well as a 30-year-old. Asleep at the Wheel Fatigue is another risk that could impair a driver’s performance at night ..read more

Commercial truckers should be ready for inspections when approaching a weigh station or scales to guarantee compliance with weight limits and various safety standards. If a vehicle is found to have violated or violates any roadside inspection conducted by an officer, the vehicle will be put out of service (OOS). Certain critical vehicle inspection items meet the criteria for an out-of-service order. The top five vehicle OOS violations are: Brake systems (25.2%) Tires (19.3%) Defective service brakes (14.1%) Cargo securement (12.4%) Lights (11.5%) Preventive Vehicle Maintenance To avoid OOS v ..read more

There are more than 168,000 truck accidents every year, with about 32% involving an injury and around 3% resulting in a fatality, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Texas had the most truck accidents in 2022, with California, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Illinois rounding out the top five states. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that one in three long-haul truckers will be involved in a serious truck accident during their career. Trucking Accidents Costs and Lawsuits Trucking companies facing litigation for small verdicts and settl ..read more

Workers’ Compensation and Occupational Accident Injury Insurance are two distinct types of coverage designed to address different aspects of workplace injuries in the trucking industry. Workers’ Compensation Insurance A statutory form of insurance, Workers’ Compensation insurance provides benefits to employees who suffer work-related injuries or illnesses. It is designed to protect both employees and employers in the event of workplace accidents. The policy typically covers medical expenses, rehabilitation costs, and a portion of lost wages for employees who are injured or become ill while per ..read more

Physical Damage Truck insurance is designed to protect commercial trucks and other vehicles used in transporting goods. The Collision portion of the policy provides coverage for damage to the insured truck that occurs as a result of a collision with another vehicle or object. This includes accidents where the insured truck is at fault. The Comprehensive portion, which is also known as “Other than Collision” coverage, insures against a wide range of perils or events that are not related to collisions. Both Collision and Comprehensive coverages include a deductible, which represents the out-of-p ..read more

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) mandates that, every two years, transportation companies update their Motor Carrier Identification Report (Form MCS-150). Updates may include changes or modifications to contact information (phone number, address, etc.), operating authority changes, ownership and control changes, insurance information, safety data, USDOT number, vehicle and equipment information, and other info. Updating the MCS-150 is critical for ensuring the quality and completeness of carrier information within the FMCSA’s systems for various reasons: Regulatory Compl ..read more