Tell Us What Changed. We'll Help You From There.
You do not need to understand every FMCSA form or MOTUS option before contacting us. Tell us what changed with your company, drivers, vehicles, cargo or operation, and our team will help you determine the appropriate next step.
Support is available through:
- Telephone assistance
- Video calls
- Screen-sharing sessions
- Guided MOTUS walkthroughs
- Help reviewing information before submission
- Assistance understanding which registration option to select
Why FMCSA is making this change
MOTUS consolidates FMCSA's registration components — previously split across older systems including the Unified Registration System (URS) and the Licensing & Insurance system — into one platform. Alongside consolidation, FMCSA has partnered with an identity verification provider to confirm registrant identities during registration, a step intended to reduce fraudulent filings in the industry.
For a carrier with an accurate, current record, this is a system and process change to get familiar with — not a sign of new risk. The carriers who run into friction during a transition like this are typically the ones whose records already had outdated information, an unclear Company Official designation, or a mismatch somewhere that would eventually need correcting anyway.
What to check before you begin
- Company Official designation. Confirm the person listed as your authorized Company Official is still accurate — this is the person who will need to complete identity verification.
- Contact information. Address, phone number, and email on file should be current, since verification and communication both route through what FMCSA has on record.
- Biennial update status. If your MCS-150 biennial update has lapsed, resolving that first avoids compounding two issues during the same transition period.
Common problems carriers are running into
Since MOTUS went live, a handful of specific issues have come up repeatedly for carriers trying to get access. Knowing these ahead of time is the single biggest thing that separates a smooth transition from a frustrating one.
1. Identity verification doesn't go through
MOTUS requires identity verification through Login.gov and a third-party identity provider before you can access the system, which involves photographing yourself and a government-issued ID on a camera-enabled device. If remote verification fails and can't be resolved online, FMCSA directs carriers to contact them directly, and in some cases to an in-person Identity Verification Enrollment Center. This step has to be completed before anything else — you can't move forward with your account until it clears.
2. Your existing USDOT number won't "claim" or link
After identity verification, you have to link your MOTUS account to your existing USDOT number. This step fails most often because the email you're logging in with doesn't match what FMCSA has on file for your company. Until this is resolved, you can't file an MCS-150 biennial update or make any other registration change — so it's worth sorting out before a deadline is bearing down on you, not during one.
3. The Login.gov email doesn't match your Company Official
This is usually the actual cause behind problem #2. MOTUS requires you to log in with the specific email tied to your company's Company Official on file with FMCSA. If that person has left the company, or if your business has used different emails over the years, the system won't recognize you — even though you're legitimately authorized. Confirming exactly which email is on file before you attempt to claim your account can save a real headache.
4. Accidentally creating a duplicate USDOT number
This is the costliest mistake, and it usually starts with problem #2 or #3. When a carrier can't get their existing number to link, some register again instead — creating a second USDOT number they never needed, tied to a record with none of their operating history. If you're having trouble claiming a number you already have, don't start a new registration. Contact FMCSA directly so they can connect your account to your correct, existing record. A new registration doesn't fix a claiming problem — it creates a second one.
What actually requires you, personally
Identity verification and account creation in MOTUS must be completed by the carrier or authorized Company Official directly — this isn't something any compliance service, including us, can do on your behalf, and it's worth being skeptical of anyone who claims otherwise. What this support plan does is make sure that when you sit down to complete those required steps, there's nothing in your record working against you, and that you have help on hand for everything that comes after.