DOT compliance services help a trucking company meet the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations: qualified drivers with complete files, a working drug and alcohol testing program, accurate hours-of-service records, and documented vehicle maintenance.
Our team sets up and maintains those programs, prepares you for FMCSA audits, and watches your safety record, so you can keep your trucks moving.
Who has to follow FMCSA safety rules?
Any company that runs a commercial motor vehicle in interstate commerce. Under 49 CFR 390.5T, that means a vehicle rated or operated at 10,001 pounds or more, one designed or used to carry more than 8 passengers (including the driver) for pay or more than 15 passengers without pay, or one hauling hazardous materials in placarded amounts.
These carriers must register with FMCSA and get a USDOT number. Intrastate carriers are not off the hook: FMCSA lists 38 states plus Puerto Rico that require intrastate commercial vehicle registrants to get a USDOT number too, including Texas, California, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina.
Registration is not a one-time task. Every carrier must update its Form MCS-150 every 24 months on a schedule set by the last two digits of its USDOT number, or the number is deactivated (49 CFR 390.19T). Our MCS-150 biennial update guide explains the deadlines, and the vehicle marking guide covers how to display the number on your trucks.
What does DOT compliance cover for a trucking company?
DOT compliance for trucking companies comes down to five record-keeping programs, and they are exactly what an FMCSA auditor samples: driver qualification, driver duty status, vehicle maintenance, the accident register, and drug and alcohol testing (49 CFR 385.311).
Driver qualification files
You keep a qualification file for every driver: the employment application, motor vehicle records, the road test certificate or an accepted equivalent, the annual review note, and the medical examiner’s certificate. You must pull and review each driver’s record at least once every 12 months, and keep the file for as long as the driver works for you plus three years (49 CFR 391.25 and 391.51). See our truck driver qualification files page for the full list.
Drug and alcohol testing
- Before hiring: a verified negative drug test and a full query of the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse before the driver performs any safety-sensitive work, then a Clearinghouse query at least once a year (49 CFR 382.301 and 382.701).
- Random testing: for 2026, FMCSA’s minimum rates are 50% of average driver positions for drugs and 10% for alcohol. You can use a service agent for selections, but you stay responsible for testing at the right rate (49 CFR 382.305).
- After an accident: testing is required after a fatality, or when the driver gets a citation and someone is treated away from the scene or a vehicle is towed. The alcohol test must happen within 8 hours and the drug test within 32 hours (49 CFR 382.303).
Our substance abuse testing program page explains each test type.
Hours of service and ELDs
| Limit | Property carriers | Passenger carriers |
|---|---|---|
| Driving time | 11 hours, after 10 consecutive hours off duty | 10 hours, after 8 consecutive hours off duty |
| On-duty window | No driving after the 14th hour since coming on duty | No driving after 15 hours on duty |
| Break | 30 minutes after 8 cumulative hours of driving | No 30-minute break rule |
| Weekly limit | 60 hours in 7 days or 70 in 8; a 34-hour off-duty period restarts the count | 60 hours in 7 days or 70 in 8 |
| Sleeper berth split | At least 7 hours in the berth plus a separate period of at least 2 hours, together at least 10 hours | At least 8 hours in the berth, in up to two periods of 2 hours or more |
Most carriers must record duty status on an electronic logging device. Paper logs are allowed only for drivers who keep logs on 8 days or fewer in any 30 days, certain driveaway-towaway operations, and engines older than model year 2000 (49 CFR 395.8). Simplex also offers ELDs for trucking companies.
Vehicle inspection and maintenance
- A systematic inspection, repair, and maintenance program for every vehicle you control, with records kept for 1 year and for 6 months after the vehicle leaves your control (49 CFR 396.3).
- An annual inspection of each tractor and trailer, with proof carried on the vehicle and the report kept for 14 months (49 CFR 396.17 and 396.21).
- A driver vehicle inspection report whenever a driver finds a safety defect, repaired and certified before the vehicle runs again and kept for three months (49 CFR 396.11).
Accident register
Carriers keep a register of every recordable accident for three years: the date, location, driver, injuries, fatalities, and any hazardous materials release, plus copies of the accident reports required by states or insurers (49 CFR 390.15).
How does FMCSA check whether you are compliant?
FMCSA checks carriers in three ways: roadside inspection and crash data, a safety audit for new carriers, and investigations that can end in a safety rating.
Roadside data and CSA scores
FMCSA’s Safety Measurement System uses roadside inspections and crash reports from the last two years, plus investigation results. It is updated once a month and sorts the data into seven BASICs, ranking carriers by percentile to decide who gets an intervention. Our CSA program page explains each BASIC.
The new entrant safety audit
A new carrier is monitored for its first 18 months. Property carriers get a safety audit within 12 months of receiving a USDOT number, and passenger carriers within 120 days (49 CFR 385.3 and 385.307).
Some violations fail the audit on their own, such as having no drug and alcohol testing program, knowingly using a driver without a valid CDL, or operating without the required insurance (49 CFR 385.321). A carrier that fails has 60 days to correct the problems (45 days for passenger and placarded hazmat carriers), or its registration is revoked and it is placed out of service (49 CFR 385.319 and 385.325). Our audit guidance and support page and new entrant safety audit checklist show how to prepare.
Compliance reviews and safety ratings
A compliance review examines hours of service, maintenance, driver qualification, CDL requirements, insurance, accidents, and hazardous materials records. Unlike the new entrant audit, it can produce a safety rating: Satisfactory, Conditional, or Unsatisfactory (49 CFR 385.3). A carrier with a proposed Unsatisfactory rating is barred from operating from the 61st day after the notice, or the 46th day for passenger and placarded hazmat carriers (49 CFR 385.13).
How our DOT compliance services work
We offer three levels of support through our compliance programs for trucking companies, so you pay for the help your operation needs.
| Program | How it works | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Simplex Hub | Self-service through our portal or app | Accident registry, annual inspection tracking, driver and vehicle file monitoring, CSA monitoring and projections, inspection and violation alerts, and assigned driver trainings with reminders |
| Essentials Program | An on-demand support team | Everything in Simplex Hub, plus driver and vehicle file management, past employment verification, CDL and medical exam verification, DataQs, vehicle maintenance records, and a DOT mock audit with a risk management plan |
| Managed Program | A dedicated account manager | Everything in Essentials, plus monthly safety reviews with action plans, hours-of-service and e-log management, policies and a fleet manual, a random testing participation program, SAP referral and follow-up testing, and an online substance testing portal |
Simplex Hub and the Simplex 2GO app show your BASIC scores and the last 24 months of inspections, violations, and accidents, and send alerts before permits, tax filings, and driver to-dos come due.
An honest caveat: a compliance service keeps your programs and records in order, but the regulations still hold the motor carrier responsible. You still need to act on the alerts and reports your program sends.
How to get started
Start with where you are today. A new carrier’s priorities before the first audit are an active drug and alcohol program, complete driver files, and maintenance records. An established fleet can use a mock audit to find its gaps before FMCSA does.
Use the form below with your USDOT number (or tell us you don’t have one yet), how many trucks you run, and how long you have been in business. Our team will recommend the program that fits and walk you through the next step.
Frequently asked questions
What is DOT compliance?
DOT compliance means your trucking operation meets the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations and can prove it with records: driver qualification files, a drug and alcohol testing program, hours-of-service logs, vehicle maintenance and inspection records, and an accident register.
What does a DOT compliance company do?
A DOT compliance company sets up and maintains the programs FMCSA requires, such as driver files, testing, and maintenance records, and helps you prepare for audits and respond to violations. At Simplex, the level of support depends on the program you choose, from self-service to a dedicated account manager.
Do intrastate trucking companies need DOT compliance?
Often, yes. Federal rules apply to interstate carriers, and FMCSA lists 38 states plus Puerto Rico that require intrastate commercial vehicle registrants to get a USDOT number. Check your state agency’s rules for intrastate operations.
What happens if you fail a DOT safety audit?
FMCSA sends a notice listing what must be fixed. Most property carriers have 60 days to show corrective action, and passenger and placarded hazmat carriers have 45; if they don’t, the new entrant registration is revoked and the carrier is placed out of service.
Sources
The rules and figures on this page come from these official sources, checked on September 25, 2026.
- FMCSA: Do I Need a USDOT Number?: Who needs a USDOT number and the states that require one for intrastate carriers.
- eCFR: 49 CFR Part 391: Driver qualification files, annual record review, and retention.
- eCFR: 49 CFR Part 382: Pre-employment, random, and post-accident testing and Clearinghouse queries.
- U.S. DOT ODAPC: 2026 Random Testing Rates: FMCSA’s 2026 minimum random rates: 50% drug, 10% alcohol.
- FMCSA: Summary of Hours of Service Regulations: Driving, on-duty, break, weekly, and sleeper berth limits.
- eCFR: 49 CFR Part 396: Maintenance records, driver vehicle inspection reports, and annual inspections.
- eCFR: 49 CFR Part 385: New entrant safety audits, automatic failures, corrective action deadlines, and safety ratings.
- FMCSA CSA: The Safety Measurement System: How SMS uses two years of data, monthly updates, and seven BASICs.
Related pages
- Comprehensive Compliance Programs for Trucking Companies
- The CSA Program
- FMCSA Substance Abuse Testing Program
- Truck Driver Qualification Files
- Drug Screen Compliance
- Commercial Driver Requirements and Qualification Criteria
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