DOT Terms Flashcards
Cab Card
refers to vehicle registration paperwork that is required to be carried in the truck for possible roadside compliance inspection
Carrier CSA Performance
refers to the measurement system implemented under the CSA program that scores companies on safety performance.
Carrier Rating
refers to a rating given a carrier after a full compliance review. Rating can be Satisfactory, Conditional, or Unsatisfactory.
CDL
Commercial Driver’s License - the special driver’s license required to operate vehicles that operate in excess of 26,000 lbs. CDLs are issued by State agencies, not FMCSA.
CMV
Commercial Motor Vehicle - defined simply is a power unit greater than 10,000 lbs., has the capacity to transport 8 or more passengers
for compensation, 15 passengers not for compensation, or hauls placardable quantities of hazardous materials.
Compliance Audit
Compliance audits are audits of performance by various agencies that ensure carriers are meeting mandated requirements. Common auditing agencies are FMCSA, IFTA, and IRP.
Corrective Action Plan
A written document a carrier creates and submits to FMCSA explaining the actions it will take to correct inadequate safety management practices. Carriers are often required to submit corrective action plans upon failing a Safety Audit.
CSA
Compliance, Safety, Accountability -Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicles.
DataQ
The DataQ program is the industry’s means to challenge the data validity or accuracy of entries in CSA.
DBA
“Doing Business As”— an alternative name a business may be referred to as.
DOT Number
Refers to the number assigned interstate carriers by the FMCSA or the state DOT for intrastate carriers for the purposes of tracking safety history.
Driver Logs
Refers to the daily log grid drivers must complete to be in compliance with the Hours of Service regulations.
Driver Performance
Generally refers to the data collection system implemented under the CSA program - PSP - that collects FMCSR violation data attributed to the driver.
Driver Qualification (DQ) File
the documents a motorcarrier is required to obtain in the process of hiring a driver, outlined in the FMCSRs.
ELD
Electronic logging device - means a device or technology that automatically records a driver’s driving time and facilitates the accurate recording of the driver’s hours of service, and that meets the requirements of subpart B of this part (FMCSR 395).
Entities
Business classifications - generally designated as sole proprietorship, corporation, or limited liability company.
Exempt For-Hire
A motor carrier that transports unregulated property owned by others for compensation. The property usually includes unprocessed or unmanufactured goods, fruits and vegetables, and other items of little or no value.
FID / FEIN /EIN
Federal Identification Number, Federal Employer Identification Number, Employer Identification Number is a unique number assigned by the government and issued to companies for credentialing and recordkeeping purposes.
Fleet
For registration purposes, a fleet is a group of vehicles registered within an entity to travel in the same jurisdictions.
FMCSA
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration - a division of the Department of Transportation that oversees commercial trucking.
FMCSR
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations - safety regulations for commercial trucking published by the FMCSA.
For-Hire
A carrier that transports passengers, regulated property, or household goods owned by others for compensation. You will need to obtain operating authority (Motor Carrier Number), If you are a for-hire carrier, in addition to a U.S. DOT Number.
HHG
Household Goods
HM
Hazardous materials
Hours of Service
Refers to the regulations in the FMCSR’s that regulate how many hours a driver can drive
IEP
Intermodal equipment provider - The company that owns the chassis and or containers hauled by motor carriers.
IFTA
The International Fuel Tax Association, Inc., more commonly known as IFTA, Inc., is an Arizona not-for-profit corporation formed to manage and administer the International Fuel Tax Agreement.
IFTA Agreement
A tax collection agreement by and among the 48 contiguous states and the 10 Canadian provinces bordering the US for the uniform administration of motor fuels use taxation laws with respect to qualified motor vehicles operated in more than one member jurisdiction.
IFTA Decal
A carrier requiring IFTA registers for and annually renews an IFTA License. A decal is issued, placed on each side of the truck, to visually prove the truck is properly registered.
IRP
International Registration Plan is a registration reciprocity agreement among states of the United States, the District of Columbia and provinces of Canada providing for payment of apportionable equipment registration fees on the basis of total distance operated in all jurisdictions.
IFTA Taxes
To comply with the IFTA Agreement, a carrier must file quarterly fuel use tax reports which can result in tax owed or tax due.
MCO / MSO
Manufacturer’s Statement of Origin or Manufacturer’s Certificate of Origin — truck’s birth certificate.
Motor Carrier
Generally any commercial business operating CMVs at a greater weight than 10,000 lbs.
MVR
Motor Vehicle Record - the driving record of an individual obtained from the state where the driver’s license was issued.
New Entrant
A New Entrant is regarded as a new carrier within its first 18 months of operation who has yet to have its required New Entrant DOT Audit.
New Entrant Safety Assurance Program (New Entrant Program)
FMCSA’s New Entrant Program monitors motor carrier safety compliance for their first 18 months on the road to help them understand and comply with safety regulations. New entrant motor carriers undergo a mandatory safety audit to ensure that they have basic safety management practices in place. Upon completing the Safety Audit and 18-month evaluation period, new entrants graduate and continue to be monitored through FMCSA’s Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program.
New Entrant Web System (NEWS)
The online system that carriers selected for an Offsite Safety Audit use to submit requested documents to FMCSA. Safety Auditors use this same system to review documents and communicate with the carrier about the Offsite Safety Audit.
PHMSA
Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration — DOT agency charged with chemical hauling regulations.
PSP
Pre-Employment Screening Program - refers to a program accessible by motor carriers for applicant’s history, with driver permission, to view FMCSR violations attributed to the driver over the past 3 years for inspections and 5 years for crashes. Drivers can obtain their own record as well.
Registrant
A Registrant is an owner / operator who leases his operation to another carrier and no longer operates under his own authority.
Roadside Inspections
Inspections performed roadside by trained enforcement personnel for compliance with the FMCSRs. Roadside inspections are only completed by certified inspectors based on criteria developed by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance. Data from roadside inspections is input into FMCSA’s Safety Measurement System (SMS) as part of the motor carrier’s safety compliance record.
Safety Audit
An overt and detailed examination of a motor carrier’s operations to provide educational and technical assistance on safety and the operational requirements of the FMCSRs and applicable HMRs which then provides safety data needed to make an assessment of the carrier’s safety performance and basic safety management controls.
SMS
Safety Measurement System - online database that FMCSA uses to collect and analyze motor carrier data from roadside inspections, including driver and vehicle violations; crash reports from the last two years; and investigation results to identify motor carriers with safety problems to prioritize them for interventions such as warning letters and investigations.
Title Work
The process of filing truck and trailer paperwork with the state of residence to prove ownership and obtain registration.
UCR
Unified Carrier Registration - under this program, states collect fees from motor carriers, motor private carriers, freight forwarders, brokers and leasing companies, based on the number of qualifying commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in their fleets. The revenues generated will be used for enforcement of motor carrier safety programs.
URS
Unified Registration System - the Federal program that serves as a clearinghouse and repository of information on all entities that are regulated; including motor carriers, brokers, freight forwarders, internmodal equipment providers, hazardous materials safety permit holders, and cargo tank manufacturing and repair facilities. The URS will combine multiple registration processes, information technology systems, and forms into a single, electronic, and online registration process.
VMT
Vehicle Miles Traveled - an annual factor in various equations for motor carriers
