What is the New Entrant Safety Program?
The new entrant safety program was put in place by the FMCSA to closely monitor new USDOT applicants to ensure that they are abiding by the federal laws & regulations, while keeping the public safe from those who are not.
What happens while I am in the program?
If you are a U.S. or Canada based operation applying for a new USDOT number, you are automatically enrolled into the New Entrant Safety program and will remain in the program for 18 months. During this time the FMCSA will:
1. Conduct a Safety Audit on the entrant within the first 12 months.
2. Monitor safety performance via roadside inspections.
3. Grant a permanent authority to operate, if proven safe to do so.
What do I do?
During this period while you are enrolled, you need to comply with all federal regulations that are applicable to you. If you are unsure, that is what we are here for. If you’ve already spoken with an agent then they’ve already gone over any laws that you are required to comply with. If you have not already spoke with an agent, contact us to be assigned your agent today.
Your responsibilities will include:
Operate safely by following regulatory guidelines
Maintain up-to-date records (ROD, Driver Logs, ELD)
Conduct Periodic inspections and perform maintenance on commercial vehicles
(I.e Annual Vehicle Inspection Report)Pass the Safety Audit
How do I pass the Safety Audit?
You can ensure that you will pass any Safety Audit or inspection by being in contact with your compliance agent, updating them with any changes to your account, including what you’re going to be hauling, how many vehicles and drivers you have, etc. Your compliance agent will do the same for you, notifying you of any changes to the regulations and staying in contact to ensure you are always up-to date.
You can also visit our Safety Audit Checklist Page, or download the checklist from the resources tab for more information.How do I avoid being enrolled into the program?
This is an automatic process and once you are enrolled into the program, the only way to be removed is to abide by the guidelines and pass the safety audit.
Warning to applicants.You may not register for a new USDOT number to avoid paying fines, or if your existing USDOT number for the same business has been placed out of service. If you provide false information or hide information when apply or reapplying for a new USDOT number, you can be placed out of service and/or be fined.