DOT Compliance Checklist for Haulers

The safety rules below are federal. If your trucks never leave the state, your state’s version applies, and its limits can differ [1].

Registration and insurance

The USDOT number has to be active, with the registration updated every 24 months, and the carrier’s name and USDOT number have to be marked on both sides of the truck [2]. Keep proof of insurance, the MCS-90 endorsement, at your principal place of business. The federal minimum for a for-hire interstate carrier of non-hazardous property is $750,000 [3]. If you cross state lines, you also pay a UCR fee every year, in a bracket set by fleet size [4]. Keep an accident register for 3 years after each recordable crash, with the date, place, driver, injuries, and fatalities, and copies of any accident reports the state or your insurer required [2].

Record: the registration with its last update date, the MCS-90, the UCR receipt, and the accident register.

Weight

On the Interstate, federal limits are 80,000 pounds gross, 20,000 on a single axle, and 34,000 on a tandem, and the bridge formula limits the weight on each group of axles by their spacing [5]. Off the Interstate, state and county limits vary by road [5][6], and northern states post spring load restrictions while the ground thaws [7][8]. Many states fine by the pound over the limit [9][10][11]. In Minnesota, the civil penalty for a truck more than 7,000 pounds over is $610 plus 20 cents for each pound above 7,000 [9].

Record: a scale ticket for every load showing gross, tare, and net. If you haul for hire across state lines, federal rules require keeping weight tickets for 3 years and shipping tickets for 1 year [12][13]. If you haul your own material or stay inside one state, that federal schedule does not apply, and your customer contracts set the period [12]. A ticket with a time on it is also an hours-of-service supporting document for any driver on logs, which means keeping it at least 6 months [14][15]. In Tread, each scale ticket is attached to its dispatched load with the ticket image and the ticket number, weight, material, and time taken from it [16].

Hours of service and ELDs

A local driver can run under the short-haul exception if they stay within 150 air-miles of the yard, return to it, and are released within 14 hours, with at least 10 hours off between shifts [17]. Under the exception the driver keeps no log and needs no ELD, and the carrier keeps a daily time record showing when the driver started, when they were released, and total hours on duty [17]. A driver who exceeds the exception on more than 8 days in any 30-day period needs an ELD [14], so keep a count of those days for each driver. When an ELD malfunctions, the driver notifies you in writing within 24 hours, reconstructs that day and the previous 7 on paper logs unless the ELD still holds them, and stays on paper until the unit is fixed [18]. You have 8 days to repair or replace it [18].

Record: for short-haul drivers, the daily time record, kept 6 months [17]. For drivers on an ELD or paper logs, the logs plus up to 8 supporting documents a day, kept 6 months [14][15]. Supporting documents include dispatch records, fuel and expense receipts, and tickets or bills of lading that show where each trip started and ended, each carrying the driver or truck number, the date, the place, and the time [15].

Vehicle inspections

The driver has to be satisfied the truck is safe before driving it [19]. FMCSA dropped the written no-defect report for property carriers in December 2014 [20][21], so a driver vehicle inspection report is required only when a defect is found or reported to the driver [22]. The defect has to be repaired, or certified as not needing repair, before the truck runs again [22]. The report can be on paper or electronic, which FMCSA confirmed in a rule effective March 23, 2026 [23]. Every truck also needs a periodic inspection at least once every 12 months [24].

Record: DVIRs with defects and the repair certification, kept 3 months [22]. The periodic inspection report, kept 14 months where the truck is housed or maintained, with the sticker or a copy of the report on the truck [25][24]. Maintenance records for each truck you control for 30 consecutive days or more, kept 1 year and for 6 months after the truck leaves your control [26]. A brokered truck on a shorter lease stays in its owner’s maintenance records [26].

Driver qualification

Each driver of a truck of 10,001 pounds or more needs a qualification file [27][28]: the application, the driving record pulled from each state at hire, the annual driving record with a note that someone reviewed it, the road test certificate or the license accepted in its place, and proof of medical certification [28][29]. Since June 23, 2025, the medical examiner reports a CDL driver’s result to FMCSA, the state posts it to the driver’s record, and you file the motor vehicle record showing certified status after each exam [30][31][28]. The paper certificate is proof on its own only for non-CDL drivers [30]. A temporary FMCSA exemption let carriers rely on a CDL driver’s paper certificate for up to 60 days after it was issued; it ran through October 11, 2026, and FMCSA said it did not expect to grant another nationwide exemption [32]. After that date, the state driver record is the proof. Certification lasts at most 24 months, and 12 months for drivers with certain conditions [33].

Run a full Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse query before a CDL driver does any safety-sensitive work for you, driving included, and a limited query on every CDL driver at least once a year, alongside the random testing program [34][35][36]. A driver with a prohibited status in the Clearinghouse cannot drive or do other safety-sensitive work [37], and since November 18, 2024 the state licensing agency downgrades their CDL for it [38][39].

Record: the qualification file for the length of employment plus 3 years [28]. Clearinghouse query results for 3 years [34]. Testing records for 5 years on positives and refusals, 1 year on negatives [40].

IFTA

IFTA applies if you run qualified vehicles, meaning over 26,000 pounds actual or registered, or 3 or more axles, in 2 or more member states or provinces [41]. You file one quarterly return with your base jurisdiction showing miles and gallons by state [41][42], and IRP apportioned registration uses the same distance records [6][43]. If every truck stays inside one state all year, IFTA does not apply [41]. As of September 2026, 5 states tax miles by truck weight on their own roads whether or not IFTA applies: Connecticut (26,000 pounds and up, since January 2023), Kentucky (over 59,999), New Mexico (over 26,000), New York (over 18,000), and Oregon (26,001 and up) [44][45][46][47][48].

Record: distance by jurisdiction for each truck, with fuel receipts, kept 4 years from the date the return was due or filed, whichever is later [42]. GPS records satisfy IFTA if the system logs a reading at least every 10 minutes with the engine on, each with the date and time, latitude and longitude to 4 decimal places, the odometer reading from the engine control module, and the vehicle or unit number, and if the data exports to a spreadsheet format such as CSV or XLSX [42]. A PDF map or other static image does not qualify [42]. Those GPS rules took effect January 1, 2024 [42].

E-ticketing on public work

FHWA made e-ticketing an Every Day Counts priority for 2021 and 2022 [49]. By FHWA’s last count, in December 2022, 43 state DOTs were piloting, assessing, or had standardized electronic tickets on agency work, 15 of them as standard practice [49]. In an FHWA brief published in August 2023, Illinois DOT allowed contractors to use e-ticketing if they chose and had run pilots with mixed results [50]. North Carolina made e-tickets optional for asphalt on all contracts from the August 2024 letting [51]. Check the specs on every public bid and ask the agency which e-ticket formats its inspectors accept. Our DOT e-ticketing requirements by state page tracks each program.

Record: an electronic ticket for every load with the time, material, quantity, source, and destination, delivered in the format the spec calls for and kept for the contract’s retention period [52][50].

Quarterly records check

Once a quarter, pull one example of each record below for one truck and one driver. Any record that takes more than a few minutes to find is the one to fix before an audit.

• Registration: USDOT biennial update date, MCS-90, UCR receipt, accident register
• Weight: one scale ticket per load with gross, tare, and net
• Hours: time records or ELD data for 6 months, and a count of days over the short-haul exception
• Inspections: defect DVIRs with repair certification for 3 months; the periodic inspection report for 14 months
• Drivers: qualification file, medical certification status and expiry, annual Clearinghouse query, current MVR
• IFTA: distance and fuel by jurisdiction for 4 years, in a format that exports to a spreadsheet
• E-ticketing: the ticket requirements on every open public bid

Sources

1. California Highway Patrol, New Carrier Guidance for Intrastate Property Carrying Motor Carriers (rev. 01-29-2021). https://www.chp.ca.gov/siteassets/forms/new-carrier-guidance.pdf
2. eCFR, 49 CFR 390.201 USDOT registration; 390.21 Marking; 390.15 Accident register. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-390.21
3. eCFR, 49 CFR 387.7 and 387.9 Financial responsibility. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-387.9
4. 49 U.S.C. 14504a Unified Carrier Registration System (uscode.house.gov). https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title49-section14504a&num=0&edition=prelim
5. eCFR, 23 CFR 658.17 Weight. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-23/section-658.17
6. Maryland State Highway Administration, Maryland Motor Carrier Handbook. https://www.roads.maryland.gov/OOTS/motorcarrierhandbook.pdf
7. MnDOT, Seasonal Load Limits. https://www.dot.state.mn.us/loadlimits/
8. MnDOT Research Report 2005-15, Cost/Benefit Study: Spring Load Restrictions. https://www.dot.state.mn.us/ofrw/PDF/springloadReport.pdf
9. Minnesota Statutes 169.871 Civil penalty for excess weight. https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/169.871
10. Michigan Compiled Laws 257.724. https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-257-724
11. Illinois Vehicle Code, 625 ILCS 5/15-113. https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=062500050K15-113
12. eCFR, 49 CFR part 379 Preservation of records (379.1, 379.3, Appendix A). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/part-379
13. eCFR, 49 CFR 373.101 For-hire, non-exempt motor carrier bills of lading. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-373.101
14. eCFR, 49 CFR 395.8 Driver’s record of duty status. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-395.8
15. eCFR, 49 CFR 395.11 Supporting documents. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-395.11
16. Tread Docs, Track Drivers and Collect Tickets. https://docs.tread.ai/workflows/track-drivers-collect-tickets
17. eCFR, 49 CFR 395.1(e)(1) Short-haul operations. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-395.1
18. eCFR, 49 CFR 395.34 ELD malfunctions. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-395.34
19. eCFR, 49 CFR 396.13 Driver inspection. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-396.13
20. Federal Register, 79 FR 75437, DVIR final rule, Dec. 18, 2014 (govinfo). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2014-12-18/html/2014-29331.htm
21. GAO, GAO-15-340R. https://www.gao.gov/products/gao-15-340r
22. eCFR, 49 CFR 396.11 Driver vehicle inspection report(s). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-396.11
23. Federal Register, Electronic Driver Vehicle Inspection Reports, final rule, Feb. 19, 2026 (govinfo, doc 2026-03264). https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2026-02-19/html/2026-03264.htm
24. eCFR, 49 CFR 396.17 Periodic inspection. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-396.17
25. eCFR, 49 CFR 396.21 Periodic inspection recordkeeping. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-396.21
26. eCFR, 49 CFR 396.3 Inspection, repair, and maintenance. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-396.3
27. eCFR, 49 CFR 390.5 Definitions (commercial motor vehicle). https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-390.5
28. eCFR, 49 CFR 391.51 Driver qualification files. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-391.51
29. eCFR, 49 CFR 391.25 Annual inquiry and review of driving record. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-391.25
30. eCFR, 49 CFR 391.43 Medical examination; certificate. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-391.43
31. eCFR, 49 CFR 391.41 Physical qualifications for drivers. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-391.41
32. FMCSA National Registry, NRII exemption notice (effective April 11, 2026). https://nationalregistry.fmcsa.dot.gov/assets/documents/nriilearningcenter/NRII%20Waiver%20Oct%2011%202026.pdf
33. eCFR, 49 CFR 391.45 Persons who must be medically examined and certified. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-391.45
34. eCFR, 49 CFR 382.701 Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-382.701
35. eCFR, 49 CFR 382.103 Applicability. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-382.103
36. eCFR, 49 CFR 382.305 Random testing. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-382.305
37. eCFR, 49 CFR 382.501 Removal from safety-sensitive function. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-382.501
38. eCFR, 49 CFR 383.73(q) State procedures, Clearinghouse. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-383.73
39. FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse, FAQ: CDL Downgrades. https://clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov/FAQ/Topics/CDL-Downgrades
40. eCFR, 49 CFR 382.401 Retention of records. https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-49/section-382.401
41. IFTA, Inc., Articles of Agreement, effective January 2026. https://www.iftach.org/manuals/2026/AA/Articles%20of%20Agreement%20-%2003-11-2026.pdf
42. IFTA, Inc., Procedures Manual, effective January 2026. https://www.iftach.org/manuals/2026/PM/Procedures%20Manual%20-%2001-05-26.pdf
43. Iowa DOT, IFTA/IRP New Carrier Checklist, Form 443004. https://ia.iowadot.gov/forms/442078.pdf
44. Connecticut DRS, Highway Use Fee Information. https://portal.ct.gov/drs/businesses/highway-use-fee/huf
45. Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, Kentucky Weight Distance (KYU). https://drive.ky.gov/Motor-Carriers/Pages/KYU.aspx
46. New Mexico MVD, Weight Distance. https://www.mvd.newmexico.gov/commercial/commercial-vehicles/weight-distance/
47. New York DTF, Highway use tax. https://www.tax.ny.gov/bus/hut/huidx.htm
48. Oregon DOT Commerce and Compliance Division, File a Tax Report (Table A) and WMT FAQ. https://www.oregon.gov/odot/mct/pages/file-tax-reports.aspx
49. FHWA, EDC-6 Final Report (December 2022 status), Internet Archive copy (fhwa.dot.gov URL 404). https://web.archive.org/web/2024id_/https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/innovation/everydaycounts/reports/edc6_finalreport.pdf
50. FHWA Tech Briefs HIF-24-028 (Illinois DOT) and HIF-24-067 (Caltrans). https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/construction/econstruction/hif24028.pdf
51. NCDOT Connect, E-Ticketing. https://connect.ncdot.gov/projects/construction/E-Ticketing/Pages/default.aspx
52. FHWA-HRT-22-045, e-Ticketing Implementation Plan. https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/publications/research/infrastructure/pavements/22045/22045.pdf