Practical guidance on DOT compliance, IFTA filing, CSA scores, and running a trucking fleet without the chaos.
FMCSA finalized the UCR fee increase for registration year 2027, effective October 1, 2026. Here is the full bracket table, old versus new, and what it costs your fleet.
A USDOT number tells you more than whether a carrier is 'active.' Here's how to read authority, insurance filings, CSA BASICs, inspections and history — and the insurance signal that shows up before an authority is revoked.
FMCSA rebuilt the DataQs challenge process, effective September 18, 2026: three review stages, real deadlines, and a reviewer who cannot be the officer who wrote the violation.
UCR is a separate annual registration from your DOT number, MCS-150 and IRP. Who has to pay, how the vehicle count works, what it costs, and how to spot the scam letters.
A Conditional rating does not stop you operating, but it can stop brokers working with you. What 49 CFR 385.3 means, the 60-day clock, and how to get upgraded.
FMCSA's gasoline and diesel HOS waiver runs Sept 16 – Dec 16, 2026: 16 driving hours per 24, no 11/14-hour limit. Who qualifies, what still applies, how to log it.
Every CMV needs an annual inspection covering the 15 categories in Appendix A to Part 396, and every trailer counts separately. What fails, who can inspect, and the 14-month rule.
A certificate of insurance proves almost nothing. BMC-91 filings and MCS-90 endorsements do very different jobs. The 387.9 minimums and how to verify coverage properly.
Since 2014 a driver does not file a DVIR when nothing is wrong. What 396.11 requires, the 11 parts, the 3-month retention, and the repair certification carriers miss.
CVSA Brake Safety Week runs August 23–29, 2026, with drums and rotors as the focus area. Here's what inspectors check, the violations that actually cause an out-of-service order, and a 5-day prep checklist for small carriers.
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