Commercial Truck Requirement MCS-150

What is the MCS-150 update?

The MCS-150 Form is just your Carrier ID report required by FMCSA.

If you’re a trucker, you completed your original MCS-150 when you first got your DOT number.

Your DOT number is like your truck’s unique ID.

FMCSA wants to know how you’re using that truck, and if it’s being operated safely.

Your MCS-150 biennial update is how you report that info to FMCSA.

It’s super quick and easy to handle online yourself!

Here are a few tips to speed things up.

Wondering who needs an MCS-150?

If you have a DOT number, you’re required by FMCSA to complete an MCS-150 every 2 years.

No worries, guys.

If you handled getting your own DOT or MC number, you can easily take care of the MCS-150 update yourself.

Why is the update required?

Bottom line, every 2 years FMCSA wants to take a look at how you’re running things.

So the MCS-150 update lets FMCSA gather data for its Compliance, Safety, Accountability program or CSA.

They search for any crashes, roadside inspections or investigations that could be tied to your DOT number.

The program looks at 7 categories to see how you’re doing overall and comes up with your CSA score.

What are the 7 categories in the CSA program?

These 7 categories in the CSA program are known as the BASICS.

These are the key areas for analyzing behavior and improving safety that are used to compare motor carriers.

Here’s what CSA looks at:

Hours-of-Service Compliance (HOS)–FMCSA rules are strict on how long drivers can stay on the road. They’ll check your compliance through Records of Duty, Bills of Lading, Dispatch Records, Freight Bills and more.

Driver Fitness–This ensures drivers aren’t operating with expired medical certificates, and are physically and medically qualified to drive a commercial motor vehicle.

Controlled Substances/Alcohol–Driving while under the influence? If you get pulled over and either fail or refuse a substance test, it’s definitely going to take a big hit on your CSA score.

Vehicle Maintenance–They’ll check things like roadside inspection results, driver vehicle inspection reports, equipment repair receipts, proof of training on load securement, and more.

Crash Indicator–This looks at crash history, not by focusing on a specific behavior, but on the outcome of that behavior or a combination of behaviors.

Unsafe Driving–You’d think this would be at the top of their list, right? This covers obvious violations like speeding, texting, reckless op, improper lane changes—basically anything that makes driving less safe.

Hazardous Material Compliance–If you’re hauling hazmat, you’re playing by a whole different set of rules. As a pro driver, you’re expected to nail everything—from proper labeling and storage to tank specs and preventing leaks. No room for error here!

What do you need for your MCS-150 Update?

Basic stuff, if you have all your ducks in a row you can crank this out very quickly:

• Legal business name
• USDOT Number
• MC Number
• Tax ID
• Email
• Carrier Mileage in the past 12 months
• Company Operations (Interstate/intrastate, hazardous/nonhazardous materials)
• Operation Type (Carrier, shipper, broker, freight forwarder, etc.)
• Cargo Type
• Number of Vehicles
• Driver details

How do you know when your compliance update is due?

What happens if you skip your update?

The FMCSA takes the MCS-150 commercial truck requirement seriously… and so should you!

Here’s the penalty, straight from their site:

Failure to complete a Biennial Update will result in deactivation of your USDOT number and may result in civil penalties of up to $1,000 per day, not to exceed $10,000.

How to file your MCS-150 Update

Use your FMCSA Portal Account

When you first set up your DOT, you very likely set up your Login.gov account.

Go to the FMCSA portal.

Sign in with your email and password and you’re good to go.

If you don’t have a Login.gov account, that’s OK just set one up now on that same portal link.

Click “Create an Account.”

Be sure to log in to your portal at least every 90 days to avoid FMCSA disabling or archiving your account.

If you forget, you can go to the FMCSA contact center to unlock your account.

Remember, besides the biennial update, you’ll also need to let the FMCSA know anytime you change your business name, address, or other details by filing a new MCS-150.