Carrier Launch KitSources and changelog
2026-10-20: site launched. Facts were checked against the official sources listed below.
All regulatory text was checked against the eCFR, Title 49, issue date 2026-10-13. Official agency pages were checked on 2026-10-20. Dollar figures appear only where an official source states them.
| Topic | What we cover | Official source checked |
|---|---|---|
| New entrant period | 18-month monitoring. Audit generally after at least 3 months of records | 49 CFR 385.307 |
| Audit timing | "Within 12 months after beginning operations" | FMCSA New Entrant Safety Assurance Program page (last updated 2022) |
| Audit scope | DQ, duty status, maintenance, accident register, D&A | 385.311 |
| 16 auto-fail items + thresholds | Full table | 385.321(b) |
| Fail outcomes | 45-day notice; 60-day CAP (45 for hazmat/passenger); OOS day 61/46; 15-day admin review window | 385.319, 385.325, 385.327 |
| Expedited audit triggers | Incl. 50% OOS rate with 3+ inspections in 90 days | 385.308 |
| Insurance minimums | $750k / $300k / $1M / $5M | 387.9 (amended 91 FR 45660, 7/21/2026), 387.303; FMCSA Insurance Filing Requirements chart |
| HHG cargo | Required; chart lists $5,000 | 387.303(c); FMCSA chart |
| Filing forms | BMC-91/91X/82, BMC-34/83, filed by insurer | FMCSA FAQ + Registration Forms page |
| Cancellation | 35 days (387.7(b)(1)); 30 days after BMC-35 notice to FMCSA (387.313(d)) | eCFR |
| Proof location | MCS-90/MCS-82 at principal place of business | 387.7(d) |
| Authority/insurance link | No grant until insurance is on file; maintain or face revocation | FMCSA Insurance Filing Requirements page |
| BOC-3 | Process agent designation; blanket companies list | FMCSA process-agents page |
| Motus | Launched May 14, 2026. Biennial updates in Motus. Randomized numbers. Suffixes are not a marking requirement. MC-number phase-out is only proposed | FMCSA Registration, Move into Motus, What's Coming, Modernization FAQs |
| MCS-150 biennial | Digit/month table, odd/even years, free, deactivation | 390.19T (operative "T" section); FMCSA Updating Your Registration |
| Marking | Both sides, contrasting, 50 ft, "operated by" | 390.21T |
| Authority fee | $300 per authority type | FMCSA Get Operating Authority page |
| UCR | 2025/2026: $46/$138/$276/$963/$4,592/$44,836. 2027: $55/$167/$333/$1,163/$5,548/$54,165. Due before Jan 1. 2027 portal opened Oct 1, 2026 | 49 CFR 367.40/367.50; 91 FR 56063 (9/1/2026); plan.ucr.gov/fee-brackets |
| IFTA | Qualified vehicle def. (R245); quarters (R254); due last day of following month, weekend/holiday shift (R960); 4-yr records (P510); distance and fuel record elements (P540/P550); 2 decals on both sides of cab (R625); calendar-year renewal (R345); Jan–Feb grace (R655.200) | IFTA Articles of Agreement and Procedures Manual, Jan. 1, 2026 editions (iftach.org PDFs) |
| IRP | Apportionable vehicle def.; 3-yr records (§1000) | IRP Plan, edition effective 1/1/2024 |
| Form 2290 | 55,000 lb; July–June; due the last day of the month after first use; EIN required; e-file for 25+; $550 example for an 80,000 lb vehicle; 5,000-mile suspension; 3-yr records; 2026–27 due-date table | IRS Instructions for Form 2290 (Rev. 07/2026) |
| D&A applicability | CDL drivers; owner-operator pool of 2+ | 382.103 |
| Pre-employment | Verified negative before safety-sensitive functions; alcohol optional | 382.301 |
| Random rates 2026 | 50% drug / 10% alcohol | DOT ODAPC Random Testing Rates (updated Jan 15, 2026) |
| Post-accident | Table; 8/32 hr citation windows; 2/8 hr alcohol and 32 hr drug limits | 382.303 |
| Policy / supervisor training | 382.601 content and receipt; 60+60 min training | 382.601, 382.603 |
| Clearinghouse | Pre-employment full query; annual query; 24-hr full query after a "hit"; 3-yr records; registration; verify users annually | 382.701, 382.711 |
| Query price | $1.25 per query; C/TPA can't buy the plan | Clearinghouse Query Plan Factsheet; Owner-Operator Learning Center |
| DER | Definition; service agents can't act as DER | 49 CFR 40.3 |
| MIS | Only if requested in January; due March 15 | 382.403 |
| D&A retention | 5/2/1 yr, training + 2 yrs | 382.401 |
| Driver qualifications | Age 21, English, etc. | 391.11(b) |
| DQ file contents and retention | 391.51(b)–(d) | eCFR |
| Application items | 391.21(b) | eCFR |
| MVR / inquiries | 30-day rules, 3-yr history, Clearinghouse for prior FMCSA employers | 391.23 |
| Annual review | 391.25 | eCFR |
| Road test equivalent | 391.33 | eCFR |
| Medical | Every 24 months max | 391.45 |
| Investigation file | Secure; employment + 3 yrs | 391.53 |
| HOS limits | 10/14/11/30-min/60-70/34 | 395.3 |
| ELD exceptions | 8 of 30 days, driveaway-towaway, pre-2000 MY; short-haul 150 air-mile | 395.8(a)(1)(ii); 395.1(e)(1) |
| ELD packet + backups | Instruction sheets + 8 days of grids; 6-month backup | 395.22(h)–(i) (current text post 91 FR 37050) |
| RODS retention | 6 months | 395.8(k) |
| ELD list removals | 5 devices removed Aug 6, 2026; replace by Oct 6, 2026 | eld.fmcsa.dot.gov home page |
| Maintenance | 396.3(a)–(c) | eCFR (amended 91 FR 45662) |
| DVIR | Items, defects-only, 3-month retention, single-CMV exception, electronic OK | 396.11 (+91 FR 7893) |
| Annual inspection | 12 months, each unit, proof on vehicle; 14-month report; inspector quals | 396.17, 396.19, 396.21, 396.25 |
| Accident def. / register | 390.5; 390.15(b) 3 yrs | eCFR |
| 2026 rule changes | ELD manual rescinded; inspection report return only if the state asks; CDL self-reporting removed; e-DVIR clarified | Federal Register API listing + abstracts |
| Weight-distance states | KY, NM, NY, OR exist as separate programs | Kentucky, New Mexico, New York and Oregon state agency programs |