📖 Table of Contents
Quick answer
Need the filing plan, not just the reading assignment? Start with a plain-English authority checklist and transparent pricing.
Quick answer
New company
Starting a new company
Skip the old FMCSA Portal and URS — use Motus.
- Create a Login.gov account and pass identity proofing.
- Open a Motus company account, then apply for the USDOT and authority you actually need.
- Want a human filer? Designate Motorcarrier.ai as your TSP after login. Filer number 9706565.
Existing USDOT
Already have a USDOT number
Claim it once, then leave Motus alone unless you have a real filing.
- Company Official logs in with the same Login.gov email that was on the old FMCSA Portal record.
- Claim the number, then review and certify the imported data.
- Do not invent a second Login.gov account "just to see."
What is actually true in August
- Motus is the registration home. Apply, update, reinstate, suspend, and track status there.
- Login.gov plus identity proofing is the front door. There is no side entrance.
- Existing USDOT and MC numbers do not change. New numbers are randomized, and new USDOT numbers can show a suffix in the Motus account. That suffix is not a door-marking requirement.
- New authorities each get their own docket number. Old multi-authority records still share one.
- FMCSA can email copies of common agency letters to the company account owner. Searching those letters inside Motus is still a later release.
- BOC-3 process changes are still "under consideration." You still need a process agent. The form is not gone.
What still bites people
Wrong email
The claim is tied to the Company Official's Login.gov email, not a new personal Gmail.
Name mismatch
Legal name on the ID, Login.gov, and the FMCSA record have to match, including hyphens, suffixes, and middle initials.
Retrying identity proofing until it locks
Fix the name first, then try once more.
Duplicate tickets and duplicate filings
One ticket. One filing. Follow up on the same case.
Claimed as a TSP by mistake
If you landed as a Transportation Service Provider instead of a motor carrier, use FMCSA's close-account / re-claim steps or file one support ticket with screenshots.
Turn the guide into a filing plan
Know what you need, what it costs, and what to file next.
We help new carriers get MC authority, USDOT, BOC-3, UCR, and startup compliance handled without the usual bureaucratic jump scares.
The MCS-150 pause
On June 22, 2026, FMCSA temporarily suspended USDOT inactivation for entities that had not completed the required biennial update since June 1, because of Motus access and system issues.
This pause covers biennial-update inactivations only. It is not a free pass on insurance filings, BOC-3, UCR, or a revoked authority.
If you are starting a company this month
If you already have a number and never claimed it
Mistakes that still waste a week
- Creating a second Login.gov account because the first one "felt stuck."
- Paying a random caller who says your USDOT will be canceled today. Use
.govlinks. - Assuming a red insurance status in Motus means the policy lapsed. Call your insurer and check the public record.
- Treating the June MCS-150 pause as "I can ignore updates forever."
- Letting a service provider keep your Login.gov. Designate a TSP. Do not hand them the keys.
FAQ
Is Motus still optional?
No — new registration work goes through Motus.
Did my MC number change?
No — existing USDOT and docket numbers stay, and new ones are issued differently.
Can motorcarrier.ai log into Login.gov for me?
No — identity proofing stays with you, and we pick up the filing after you designate us as TSP (see the MOTUS Co-Pilot guide).
Where do I get help if Motus is actually broken?
One ticket at ask.fmcsa.dot.gov, or FMCSA Registration Customer Service at 1-800-832-5660; as of the June 22 update they had extended contact-center hours, so confirm current hours on that page.
What should I read next?
FMCSA MOTUS Is Herefor the "what is this" version, then MOTUS Co-Pilot and the Login.gov guide for the click-path.
We help new trucking companies get set up and stay compliant — from MC authority to insurance to ongoing DOT requirements. No jargon, no overcharging, just straight answers.
Learn more about us →Keep Reading
Authority Revoked or Inactive: How to Turn It Back On in Motus
Inactive, lapsed, and revoked are not the same. Motus shows a status plus a reason. Fix insurance, BOC-3, and USDOT first, then request reinstatement ($80).
How Insurance Gets on File With FMCSA
You buy the policy. The insurer files BMC-91 or BMC-91X. Why Motus can show insurance missing when the policy is fine, and what the official minimums are.
The New-Entrant Safety Audit
First-year FMCSA audit for new interstate carriers: the 12-month window, what they actually check, automatic fails in 385.321, and what to have in a box.
Ready to turn this into an actual filing?
We handle MC authority, BOC-3, UCR, and startup compliance steps so you can focus on getting the business moving.