DOT Compliance Group’s MCS 150 Services, Things You May Not Have Known
As an employer or independent owner-operator in the transportation industry, there are rules and regulations you need to comply with. For you to keep your vehicles on the road, you must judiciously follow the rules and regulations set out by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration. Failure to do so may lead to the deactivation of your USDOT number and also face penalties of up to thousands of dollars. Of all the things you need to do to stay compliant with FMCSA’s rules, the MCS 150 filing is one of the most important. Unfortunately, some motor carriers don’t have complete information about this filing.
In this article, we will cover everything you may not have known about the MCS 150 filing, to give you a clear picture of what’s all about.
What is the MCS 150 Form?
If you are operating in the transportation industry, it is expected that you have a USDOT number. Without this number, there is no way you can run a trucking business in the US.
After getting your USDOT number, there are other things you need to do from time to time to stay compliant with FMCSA. One of such is the MCS 150 filing.
MCS 150, also known as Motor Carrier Identification Report, is a filing that has to do with updating your USDOT number. Through this form, FMCSA will get clear information about your business.
This information could include the number of vehicles in your fleet, what your vehicle is designated for (whether passenger carrier or hazardous materials vehicle), and your mileage.
By filing this information, it makes it easy for FMSCA to authenticate whether the information connected with your USDOT number is accurate.
As long as you are a motor carrier and have a DOT number, you are required to file an MCS 150 update every two years. That is why it is called the biennial MCS 150 update.
You should file for an update regardless of whether there are changes or not. If you add more trucks to your fleet, change your business name, or whatever, you need to file an MSC 150 update and your information must be accurate.
Why You Must Ensure All The Information You Are Providing Is Accurate?
You must provide accurate information about your business because FMCSA uses the information to determine your safety scores. FMCSA has a new safety calculation system known as Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA).
With the information you provide, FMCSA can use the CSA measurement system to analyze your scores. Giving inaccurate data can have a negative impact on your safety performance score, which is something every employer or owner-operator must try to avoid.
For you to file for the update, you need to have your USDOT pin and USDOT number. However, if you don’t have it, the authorities can send it to you via mail within a week from the time of the request.
When Is The Right Time To File My MCS 150?
This is a common question most people ask. Not knowing when to file your MCS 150 can make you not being compliant with FMCSA rules and regulations. To know the deadline for the submission of the form, your USDOT number will help out. The two last digits on your USDOT number signifies the date for the deadline.
The last number tells you the month to file your information, while the number before the last tells you whether you will be filing every odd or even year. Let’s look at an example below for a clearer picture.
Assuming the last two digits of your USDOT are 63. The “3” signifies the month you need to file your information (in this case, it is March). You can only file from January to the last day of October. January is 1, February is 2, September is 9, and October is 0.
As for the next number which is 6, it is an even number. This means that all your filing will be done every even year.
What Happens If You Fail To File The Biennial MCS 150?
If you intend to run a successful business in the trucking industry, then failing to file the biennial MCS 150 update is never an option.
It doesn’t matter where you made any significant changes or not, you have to follow the rules of FMCSA to stay compliant and run a successful business.
If for any reason, you fail to file the biennial MCS 150 update, the consequences can cost you your business. The first is that your USDOT number might be deactivated. Secondly, you may be subjected to fines and penalties to the tune of ten thousand dollars.
Of course, no one wants to find himself in such a non-compliant state because it could be the end of your business.
Nevertheless, staying compliant with all the rules of FMCSA is never easy for employers and owner-operators in the trucking industry.
It takes a whole lot for business owners to run their day-to-day businesses and at the same time keep all the policies of FMCSA. This is where DOT Compliant Group comes as a bailout for trucking companies.
DOT Compliance Group Can Handle Your MCS 150 Filing
At DOT Compliance Group, we are committed to assisting employers and owner-operators in the trucking industry. We understand what it takes to stay compliant with FMCSA’s rules and regulations. Many trucking companies have ceased to exist because of their inability to stay up-to-date with the complex rules of USDOT.
To take away the frustration that comes with the biennial MCS 150 filing and other registrations in the transportation industry, DOT Compliance Group got you covered.
We have a team of experts that are always ready to help out with any registration. We have been in this business for quite a long time and understand what it takes to stay compliant all the time.
All you need is just to put a call through to us and we will be glad to handle all your worries in your trucking business.