12-Month Compliance Calendar

This is the form you filed when applying for your USDOT number. Verify all information is correct — especially your mailing address, operation type, and vehicle count. Errors here cause problems down the road.

All interstate motor carriers must register and pay the annual UCR fee. Fees are based on fleet size. Register at ucr.gov. Most states enforce this at weigh stations.

Even if you're a single owner-operator, you must be enrolled in a DOT drug and alcohol testing program. This includes pre-employment, random, post-accident, and reasonable suspicion testing. A consortium handles the random selection pool.

All CDL drivers and employers must be registered. Run a pre-employment query on yourself and all drivers. Full queries required before hiring; limited queries required annually for current drivers.

International Fuel Tax Agreement — required if you operate in more than one state. Apply through your base state. You'll get decals for each truck. Keep them current — weigh stations check for valid IFTA decals.

Apportioned plates for interstate travel. Fees are based on the percentage of miles you drive in each state. Your base state handles registration. This replaces buying separate plates for each state.

Legal name or DBA name, USDOT number, and MC number (if applicable) must be displayed on both sides of every commercial vehicle. Letters must be at least 2 inches tall, in a contrasting color, and readable from 50 feet.

By month 3, you should have a stack of daily vehicle inspection reports (DVIRs). Review them: are they complete? Are you noting condition of brakes, tires, lights, mirrors, coupling devices, and emergency equipment every trip? These must be retained for 3 months minimum.

Review your ELD data for the past 90 days. Look for: unassigned driving time, missing certifications, HOS violations (11-hour driving, 14-hour window, 30-minute break, 60/70-hour rule). Fix any issues now before FMCSA audits your logs.

Every commercial vehicle must pass an annual DOT inspection by a qualified inspector. The inspection sticker and report must be kept on the vehicle at all times. Schedule this at a reputable shop — failed inspections at weigh stations are expensive.

Your DOT physical is valid for up to 2 years (may be shorter if you have health conditions). Confirm your medical examiner's certificate is current, properly filed with your state DMV, and a copy is in your driver qualification file. Don't let it expire — it immediately disqualifies you from driving.

If you employ drivers (including yourself), you must conduct an annual limited query on each driver in the FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse. This checks if any drug/alcohol violations have been reported. Must be done at least once every 12 months.

UCR registration must be renewed annually, typically before January 1 of the next year. Registration usually opens in October. Don't wait until December 31 — do it as soon as registration opens for the new year.

Your MCS-150 must be updated every 2 years based on the last digit of your USDOT number, or whenever your information changes. Since this is your first year, verify all information is still current: address, vehicle count, driver count, operation type, mileage. Update online at safer.fmcsa.dot.gov.

IRP (apportioned plates) must be renewed annually. Most states have online renewal. You'll need to report actual miles driven in each jurisdiction for the past year — this determines your fees for the next year. Keep accurate mileage records all year.