FMCSA Registration
Recently, communications have been sent to many public school districts regarding updates to FMCSA’s new MOTUS system, which will be used to apply for DOT numbers. In nearly all cases, this will not apply to Ohio’s public school districts that provide transportation services.
The Federal Motor Carrier and Safety Administration (FMCSA) is charged with regulating interstate commerce across the country. One of their regulations requires carriers that are involved in interstate travel to register with FMCSA and to hold a USDOT number. In public school districts, our exposure to this is when we contract with a commercial carrier (highway buses) that will transport our students out-of-state.
One of the advantages of this registration system is that if you were to consider contracting with a commercial carrier, you are able to research their safety and performance records through federal resources. By going to this link (https://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/ ) you can look up many details about the carrier, and make an informed decision as to whether you want to contract with them or not. The key information that you need to do this research is the DOT number assigned to that transporter.
As a public school district providing school transportation for your students, you are not required to hold a USDOT number. Hence you have no obligation to register with FMCSA or DOT through this system.
We have also learned that some districts have been contacted by an agency with a Washington D.C. address advising you that they will renew your DOT registrations for a fee. You are not required to have a DOT registration, and do not need the services of a business that is offering to affect your renewal for a fee.