Resources
DOT compliance guides
Plain-language guides to the FMCSA rules that matter most to motor carriers.
Latest guides
FMCSA Out-of-Service Order: How to Get ReinstatedGot an FMCSA out-of-service order? Learn why it happened, your deadlines, and the exact steps to reinstate your USDOT number for each type of order.Updated Failed Your New Entrant Safety Audit? How to Write a Corrective Action PlanFailed your new entrant audit? Learn your 60- or 45-day deadline, how to build a corrective action plan FMCSA accepts, and the mistakes that get CAPs rejected.Updated New Entrant Safety Audit: The Complete Guide for New CarriersWhat to expect at your FMCSA new entrant safety audit: when it happens, what auditors check, the automatic-failure violations, and a full document checklist.Updated
New entrant audits
Related service: NEW ENTRANT AUDIT →Failed Your New Entrant Safety Audit? How to Write a Corrective Action PlanFailed your new entrant audit? Learn your 60- or 45-day deadline, how to build a corrective action plan FMCSA accepts, and the mistakes that get CAPs rejected.Updated New Entrant Safety Audit: The Complete Guide for New CarriersWhat to expect at your FMCSA new entrant safety audit: when it happens, what auditors check, the automatic-failure violations, and a full document checklist.Updated The 16 Automatic-Failure Violations in the New Entrant Safety AuditThe 16 violations in 49 CFR 385.321 that fail a new entrant audit on their own, what each one means, and how carriers prevent them before the auditor calls.Updated
Out-of-service & ratings
Related service: OUT-OF-SERVICE ASSISTANCE →FMCSA Out-of-Service Order: How to Get ReinstatedGot an FMCSA out-of-service order? Learn why it happened, your deadlines, and the exact steps to reinstate your USDOT number for each type of order.Updated Insurance Cancellation and Authority Revocation: What Carriers Must DoInsurance canceled and authority revoked? Learn how BMC-91 filings and BMC-35 cancellation notices work, your 30-day window, and how to reinstate with FMCSA.Updated How to Upgrade a Conditional Safety Rating (FMCSA 385.17)Stuck with a Conditional safety rating? Learn how to request a rating change under 49 CFR 385.17, what evidence FMCSA expects, and how long reviews take.Updated
Drug & alcohol testing
Related service: Drug & Alcohol Compliance →FMCSA Clearinghouse Queries: Full vs. Limited, Consent and CostsLearn when to run a full vs. limited Clearinghouse query, how driver consent works, what queries cost, and what owner-operators must do to stay compliant.Updated DOT Random Drug and Alcohol Testing Rates for 2026 (FMCSA)FMCSA's 2026 random testing rates are 50% for drugs and 10% for alcohol. See how to apply them, run fair selections, and keep the records auditors check.Updated What Counts as a Refusal to Test (and What Happens Next)A DOT drug test refusal carries the same weight as a positive. Learn what counts as a refusal under 49 CFR 40.191, the consequences, and your duties as the carrier.Updated
Driver files
Related service: Driver Qualification Files →Inspections, HOS & CSA
Related service: Monthly Compliance Management →CSA BASIC Scores Explained (and How to Challenge Violations in DataQs)Learn how CSA scores and BASIC percentiles work, the current intervention thresholds, and how to fix wrong inspection or crash data with a DataQs challenge.Updated DOT Roadside Inspection Levels Explained (Levels I–IX)What happens at each CVSA inspection level, from a full Level I to electronic and post-crash checks, plus out-of-service rules, decals and repair deadlines.Updated English Language Proficiency Rules for Truck Drivers: Out-of-Service EnforcementHow the English proficiency rule in 49 CFR 391.11(b)(2) is enforced at roadside, what changed in 2025 and 2026, and practical steps carriers can take now.Updated
Free tools
PDFNew entrant safety audit checklistFree printable checklist for the FMCSA new entrant safety audit: the 16 automatic-failure violations and every document to have ready. Download the PDF.GlossaryDOT & FMCSA compliance glossaryPlain-English definitions of the DOT and FMCSA terms carriers run into: USDOT, MC, BOC-3, MCS-150, new entrant audit, CSA, Clearinghouse, DQ file, HOS and more.New Authority ReportNew Authority Report: new trucking companies by monthMonthly counts of new operating authority applications published in the FMCSA Register, by state and authority type. Original data from JMM Compliance.Free toolFree USDOT compliance checkCheck your USDOT status, operating authority, out-of-service flag and new entrant status in seconds — then get a free compliance review from a specialist.Free toolWhen will my new entrant safety audit happen?Find out when your FMCSA new entrant safety audit is likely, the federal deadline, and when your 18-month monitoring period ends. Free calculator.