FMCSA
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration — the U.S. agency responsible for regulating and providing safety oversight of commercial motor vehicles.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Transportation that regulates the trucking and bus industries. Established on January 1, 2000, as a separate administration (previously part of the Federal Highway Administration), FMCSA's primary mission is to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities involving large trucks and buses.
FMCSA's regulatory authority covers a vast range of trucking operations. Key areas include: Hours of Service (HOS) regulations that limit driving and on-duty time to prevent fatigued driving, CDL standards that establish uniform licensing requirements for commercial drivers, drug and alcohol testing programs for safety-sensitive employees, vehicle maintenance and inspection standards, carrier registration and operating authority requirements, and hazardous materials transportation rules.
The agency maintains the SAFER System (Safety and Fitness Electronic Records), a public database where anyone can look up a carrier's safety record, insurance status, and operating authority. FMCSA also administers the Unified Registration System (URS) through which carriers obtain their operating authority (MC number) and USDOT number — required identifiers for any company operating commercial vehicles in interstate commerce.
FMCSA enforcement includes roadside inspections conducted by state partners, compliance reviews and investigations of carrier operations, and civil penalties for violations. The agency can issue out-of-service orders to immediately remove unsafe vehicles or drivers from the road, and can revoke a carrier's operating authority for serious or repeated safety violations. FMCSA also works with state agencies through the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP), which provides federal funding for state-level commercial vehicle safety enforcement.