The “Entities with a USDOT Number” datasets are generated from a 24-hour old database, which are updated daily and usually available on the DOT - Data Portal by 12:00 PM EST.

Data for “Entities with a USDOT Number” are broken out into three data groups:

Company Census File, Crash File, and Inspection Files. These data categories exclude shipper only business types, and entities that have an active Hazardous Material Special Permit (HMSP) on file at FMCSA and USDOT Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA).

Company Census File

The Company Census File contains records of active, pending, and inactive entities registered with FMCSA. To identify each entity, FMCSA assigns a unique safety registration number to each entity record. This number is referred to as the USDOT Number. Entities with USDOT Numbers include those entities subject to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulation (FMCSR), Hazardous Material Regulation (HMR), or intrastate non-Hazardous Material (HM) carriers. Entities with active USDOT numbers, if they are for-hire carriers transporting passengers or federally regulated property across state lines, brokers, freight forwarders, and some specialized carriers, are required to obtain FMCSA operating authority numbers, often called “MC numbers” or “Docket numbers”. Active entities’ operating authority numbers and with status information “Active” or “Inactive” are disclosed in their Company Census records.  Please check the Company Census File data dictionary, since we have added pending and inactive entities, as well as the docket number(s) status to the end of the USDOT record within the Company Census File | DOT - Data Portal.

The data within the Company Census File is updated daily from a 24-hour old database. Data within the Company Census File does not reflect real-time data. The Company Census File doesn’t include shipper only business types, and/or entities that have an active HMSP on file at FMCSA and PHMSA. Therefore, the Company Census File data may differ from what is shown in other Agency systems that are refreshed on a different schedule

Company Census File | DOT - Public Data Portal contains FMCSA registered entities identifying data, business operations, carrier review, equipment, and driver data. The attachment section of the Company Census File | DOT - Public Data Portal also has the relevant Data Dictionary and Schematic.

Crash File

The data within the Crash File is updated daily from a 24-hour old database. Data within the Crash File does not reflect real-time data. The Crash File doesn’t include shipper only business types, and/or entities that have an active HMSP on file at FMCSA and PHMSA. Therefore, the Crash File data may differ from what is shown in other Agency systems that are refreshed on a different schedule.

The FMCSA Crash File contains data from federal, state, and local police crash reports involving drivers and vehicles of commercial motor carriers operating in the United States. Each report contains about 59 data elements pertaining to the motor carrier, driver, vehicles, and circumstances of a crash. Due to sensitive and/or privacy restrictions, driver and hazardous materials data are not included in any crash files released to the public.

Crash File | DOT - Data Portal may contain multiple records for a crash. Separate reports are entered for each commercial motor vehicle involved in a crash. These multiple reports can be distinguished by combining the REPORT_STATE, REPORT_NUMBER, REPORT_DATE, REPORT_TIME, and REPORT_SEQ_NO fields. The attachment section of the Crash File | DOT - Data Portal also has the relevant Data Dictionary and Schematic.

DISCLAIMER:  The information contained in this Crash File represents data that was reported to FMCSA through the requirements of state and federal programs.

NOTICE: This webpage is provided under the sponsorship of DOT in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no liability for its components or use thereof.

QUESTIONS: Crash data in the Crash File are sent to FMCSA by state and federal enforcement agencies. Only those enforcement agencies can resolve concerns about missing or inaccurate crash information. For the name of the proper contact person in each state or to resolve any other questions about the content of this file, please contact FMCSA.CDO@DOT.GOV.

Inspection Files:

The data within the Inspection Files are updated daily from a 24-hour old database. Data within the Inspection Files do not reflect real-time data. The Inspection Files don’t include inactive USDOT Numbers, shipper only business types, and/or entities that have an active HMSP on file at FMCSA and PHMSA. Due to the physical size of the Inspection Files, FMCSA publishes three years of historical inspection data going back from the date the Inspection File was generated on DOT - Public Data Portal. Therefore, the data within the Inspection Files may differ from what is shown in other Agency systems that are refreshed on a different schedule.

FMCSA is the agency within DOT that is responsible for monitoring and developing safety standards for commercial motor vehicles operating in interstate commerce.

The FMCSA Inspection Files contain data from state and federal inspection actions involving Motor Carriers and Transporters of Hazardous Materials operating in the United States. Most of the inspections were conducted at the roadside by State personnel under the Motor Carrier Safety Assistance Program (MCSAP).

Federal and State field enforcement staff perform inspections on Interstate and Intrastate Motor Carriers and Shippers and Transporters of Hazardous Materials. Violations of FMCSR that are severe enough may result in a vehicle and/or driver being placed "out-of-service."

The data from inspection activity is collected and stored in the FMCSA Inspection Data Files.

Inspection data is broken down into the following separate data files: Vehicle Inspection File; Inspections Per Unit; Vehicle Inspections and Violations; Special Studies; Inspections and Citations.

Vehicle Inspection File

The data collected from inspection activity is collected and stored in the FMCSA Inspection Data Files. Due to privacy restrictions, driver information is not included in any inspection files released to the public.

Vehicle Inspection File | DOT - Public Data Portal contains:

• Inspection location
• Details
• Searches/check types
• Shipping paper data
• Enforcement types and status
• Violation totals by driver and/or vehicle
• Census data of vehicle and FMCSA registered entity
• Markings on vehicle (i.e., USDOT Number, docket number, company name, etc.)

Use the INSPECTION_ID to link the data from the Vehicle Inspection File to the rest of the “Inspection Files.” The attachment section of the Vehicle Inspection File | DOT - Public Data Portal also has the relevant Data Dictionary and Schematic.

Inspections Per Unit

The data collected from inspection activity is collected and stored in the FMCSA Inspection Data Files. Due to privacy restrictions, driver information is not included in any inspection files released to the public.

Inspections Per Unit | DOT - Public Data Portal contains Vehicle type, Vehicle make, Company number, License plate, License plate state, Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) decal, CVSA Number found during the inspection. There can be multiple Inspection Units per inspection. The attachment section of Inspections Per Unit | DOT - Public Data Portal also has the relevant Data Dictionary and Schematic.

Vehicle Inspections and Violations

The data collected from inspection activity is collected and stored in the FMCSA Inspection Data Files. Due to privacy restrictions, driver information is not included in any inspection files released to the public.

Vehicle Inspections and Violations | DOT- Public Data Portal contain the violation code, part, and category, as well as the unit number (relates back to the Inspections Per Unit File), Out-of-Service (OOS), and defect verification found during the inspection. There can be multiple Inspection Units per inspection. The attachment section of Vehicle Inspections and Violations | DOT- Public Data Portal also has the relevant Data Dictionary and Schematic.

Special Studies

The data collected from inspection activity is collected and stored in the FMCSA Inspection Data Files. Due to privacy restrictions, driver information is not included in any inspection files released to the public.

Special Studies | DOT - Public Data Portal identifies the study field and study results that arise from ad hoc examination of items, usually inspected in support of a particular study or verification/refutation of a specific trend. This inspection type is a Level IV inspection. The attachment section of Special Studies | DOT - Public Data Portal also has the relevant Data Dictionary and Schematic.

Inspections and Citations

The data collected from inspection activity is collected and stored in the FMCSA Inspection Data Files. Due to privacy restrictions, driver information is not included in any inspection files released to the public.

Inspections and Citations | DOT - Public Data Portal contains the relevant citation code and result found during the inspection. The attachment section of Inspections and Citations | DOT - Public Data Portal also has the relevant Data Dictionary and Schematic.

DISCLAIMER: The information contained in the Inspection File represents all the useable data that has been reported to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration through the requirements of State and Federal programs.

NOTICE: This webpage is provided under the sponsorship of DOT in the interest of information exchange. The U.S. Government assumes no liability for its components or use thereof.

QUESTIONS: Inspection data in the Inspection Files are sent to FMCSA by state and federal enforcement agencies. Only those enforcement agencies can resolve concerns about missing or inaccurate inspection information. For the name of the proper contact person in each state or to resolve any other issues or questions about the content of this file, please email to FMCSA.CDO@DOT.GOV.

Data files for “Entities with Operating Authority” are partitioned into two parallel tracks on the DOT Open Data Catalog to accommodate both standard workflows and legacy system archiving:

Section A: Modern MOTUS Operating Authority Files (Modern Architecture): Updated daily by 9:30 AM Eastern Time. These tables enforce modern relational schemas where each unique Operating Authority (OA) is assigned its own distinct docket number. Daily difference files utilize blank strings to signal downstream drop/deletion events. 

Section B: Archived Legacy Operating Authority Files (Historical Baseline Reference): These tables preserve historical baseline files under the pre-modernization data mapping definitions. Under this legacy setup, a single docket number could contain multiple operating authorities, and complex boolean fields or character-flag blocks were leveraged to track status.

Section A: Modern MOTUS Operating Authority Files

Operating Authority Complete Files (Modern Architecture Baseline)

Motus InsHist - All With History | DOT- Data Portal Provides historical entries of previous, non-subsequent insurance policies that have been cancelled, replaced, or changed. Connects data directly using DOCKET_NUMBER and USDOT_NUMBER to standard tracking metrics such as policy numbers, cancellation effective dates, and FILING_STATUS_REASON variables.

Motus Carrier - All With History | DOT - Data Portal The main modern repository for active, inactive, or pending authorities. It provides entity profiles using USDOT_NUMBER and DOCKET_NUMBER mapped against unified classification metrics: OP_AUTH_TYPE (Operating Authority Type) and OP_AUTH_STATUS (Operating Authority Status). Old layout flags and checkbox combinations have been removed.

Motus BOC3 - All With History | DOT - Data Portal Contains baseline assignment parameters for Blanket Company process agents (CO_NAME) and corresponding administrative service addresses hired to legally represent registered carriers, brokers, or freight forwarders.

Motus AuthHist - All With History | DOT- Data Portal Contains history tracking entries for individual operating authorities. Monitors structural transformations by mapping target designations directly against change execution times (OP_AUTH_STAT_CHANGE_DATE).

Motus Insur - All With History | DOT - Data Portal Tracks individual insurance policy entries that are currently active or pending. Incorporates structural reference keys along with financial liability caps (MAX_COV_AMOUNT, UNDERL_LIM_AMOUNT) and the receipt date (TRANS_DATE).

Motus RevokeSuspend - All With History | DOT - Data Portal (Formerly Revocation) Identifies operating authorities that have been suspended or revoked by the agency. Outlines specific policy violations, target types, and legal execution timelines (ORDER1_SERVE_DATE, ORDER1_EFFECTIVE_DATE).

Operating Authority Records Updated in the Past 24 Hours Only ("Daily Difference")

Motus InsHist | DOT - Data Portal – Incremental insurance historical logs posted over the previous 24-hour cycle.

Motus Carrier | DOT- Data Portal – Delta updates capturing newly authorized entities or adjustments to base census fields.

Motus BOC3 | DOT- Data Portal – Short-form change notifications showing recent updates to process agents.

Motus AuthHist | DOT- Data Portal – Immediate updates showing recent changes to an authority’s status or type.

Motus Insur | DOT - Data Portal – Daily change log for pending and active policy adjustments. Policy cancellations or coverage drops are signaled in this file by transmitting blank strings across fields outside of primary keys.

Motus RevokeSuspend | DOT - Data Portal – Real-time delta logs displaying administrative suspension or revocation actions processed within the past 24 hours.

Section B: Legacy Operating Authority Files Reference Catalogs

The eight baseline datasets detailed below are hosted purely for historical data continuity, backward compatibility, and public reference. They preserve original schema definitions, text lengths, and flag tracking layouts.

[Dataset Name] – All With History = “Full” or “Baseline” historical archive dataset layout.

Carrier – All With History (Legacy Archive) Records for all carriers, brokers, and freight forwarders with active, inactive, or pending authorities (common or contract) under the legacy infrastructure. It includes entity census details, addresses, and comprehensive data arrays for required/filed types of authority, insurance limits, specific policy flags, and household goods check boxes.

Insur – All With History (Legacy Archive) Records for carrier, broker, and freight forwarder active or pending individual insurance policies under the original schema. The records link to entities via historic docket numbers and include layout specifications for insurance type classifications, primary or excess BI&PD class definitions, maximum liability caps, underlying policy limits, and underwriting company names.

ActPendInsur – All With History (Legacy Archive) Tracks historical implementation parameters of active or pending insurance policies. Contains data tracking rows for posted dates (when the form was received by FMCSA), policy numbers, underlying/maximum coverage limits, effective start fields, and cancellation activation targets.

AuthHist – All With History (Legacy Archive) Tracks lifecycle histories of granted and revoked authorities using original system definitions. Maps structural modifications through sequentially arranged action sequence integers (sub-numbers) paired alongside detailed string descriptions for original actions, serving dates, final decisions, and legal activation timelines.

BOC3 – All With History (Legacy Archive) Maintains historical assignment rosters for designated legal blanket company process agents. Connects legacy entity identifier keys to process agent company names, primary contacts, and complete administrative mailing address blocks.

InsHist – All With History (Legacy Archive) Detailed historical repository logging adjustments to previously cancelled, replaced, or transferred insurance filings. Captures policy classification codes, general cancellation criteria reasons, specified form execution variants (such as BMC 35, 36, or 85C layouts), primary vs excess status flags, and primary insurance company branch index fields.

Rejected – All With History (Legacy Archive) Tracks processed filings or cancellation requests that failed validation scripts and were rejected by the agency. Connects structural reference indexes to intended policy lines, submission receipt dates, intended liability caps, final rejection dates, and detailed error log reason entries.

Revocation – All With History (Legacy Archive) Maintains historical tracking entries for authority terminations processed prior to modern system modernization. Includes fields for impacted registration tracks (common, contract, or broker parameters), warning letter serving dates, revocation types, and final effective closeout fields.

Disclaimer

Each of the datasets identified in this document is provided as a public service by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to enhance public access to information. This information is constantly changing. The datasets are only a snapshot of the data at the time the datasets were generated. All information provided by FMCSA is for informational purposes only and does not constitute a legal contract between the FMCSA and any person or entity unless otherwise specified. The information provided by FMCSA is not intended as, nor offered as, legal advice. 

In no event shall the FMCSA, nor any of its employees, be responsible or liable, directly or indirectly, for any damage or loss caused, or alleged to be caused, by or in connection with the use of or reliance on any such content, goods, or services available in the datasets identified in this document. 

FMCSA Safety Measurement System (SMS) data refreshes monthly. It provides measurement results for Commercial Motor Carriers’ public behavior using Behavior Analysis and Safety Improvement Categories (BASICs) method. Data files in Safety Measurement System (SMS) are organized into two (2) categories: SMS Input Data Files and SMS Output Data Files.

SMS Input Data Files

The four input data files are snapshots of datasets taken on the third or last Friday of each month, containing the publicly available census, inspection, violation, and crash data used for the current month’s SMS calculations. DOT Open Data portal usually posts these SMS Input files by the 15th of the next month:

• SMS Input - Motor Carrier Census Information | DOT - Public Data Portal
• SMS Input - Inspection Data | DOT - Public Data Portal
• SMS Input - Crash Data | DOT - Public Data Portal
• SMS Input - Violation Data | DOT - Public Data Portal

SMS Input - Motor Carrier Census Information | DOT - Public Data Portal This data is from an FMCSA Comprehensive Safety Analysis (CSA) monthly data run, which contains the FMCSA registration data of all active Interstate and Intrastate Hazmat Motor Carriers of property and/or passengers.  Contains the USDOT Number, company names, addresses, contacts, telephone and fax numbers, e-mail, HazMat flag, passenger carrier flag, number of power units, number of drivers, mileage, mileage year, operation, and classification registration information. File is comma delimited. One carrier per row.

SMS Input – Inspection | DOT - Public Data Portal This file contains identifying information for the inspection such as the U.S. DOT#, Report Number, Inspection Date, State, and Vehicle Information. It also includes information about the relationship of each inspection to SMS BASIC information, and violation counts by BASIC. File is comma delimited. One inspection per row.

SMS Input – Crash Data | DOT - Public Data Portal This file contains the publicly available crash data used for the current month’s SMS calculations. The file contains a record for each commercial motor vehicle involved in a crash including the U.S. DOT#, Report Number, Crash Date, State, and Vehicle Information. It also includes information about the severity of the crash (tow-away, injury, fatal) and the associated severity and time weights used in the SMS. File is comma delimited. One crash per row.

SMS Input – Violation | DOT - Public Data Portal This file contains details on each violation that was used in SMS calculations. This includes an identifier linking the violation to the inspection in which it was cited, the violation code, violation description, and information related to the SMS methodology. File is comma delimited. One violation per row.

SMS Output Data Files

The SMS output data files are derived from the monthly snapshots of the input data files. Output files are products of an intertwined analytical process that includes data sufficiency checks, data validation, and iterative computational steps, the process usually takes 7-10 days to complete. Output files include the current SMS results for all active interstate and intrastate Hazmat, Non-Hazmat Motor Carriers of property and /or passengers, and are organized into four files. DOT Open Data portal usually posts these SMS output files by the 15th of the next month:

• SMS AB Pass | DOT - Public Data Portal
• SMS C Pass | DOT - Public Data Portal
• SMS AB PassProperty | DOT - Public Data Portal
• SMS C PassProperty | DOT - Public Data Portal

SMS AB Pass | DOT - Public Data Portal This data file is calculated from the monthly snapshots of the input data files, contains the FMCSA SMS data, consists of summary results of all active Interstate and Intrastate Hazmat Motor Carriers of passengers only. File is comma delimited. One carrier per row.

SMS C Pass | DOT - Public Data Portal This data file is calculated from the monthly snapshots of the input data files, contains the FMCSA SMS data, consists of active Intrastate Non-Hazmat Motor Carriers of passengers only. File is comma delimited. One carrier per row.

SMS AB PassProperty | DOT - Public Data Portal This data file is calculated from the monthly snapshots of the input data files, contains the FMCSA SMS data, consists of summary results of all active Interstate and Intrastate Hazmat Motor Carriers of property and/or passengers. File is comma delimited. One carrier per row.

SMS C PassProperty | DOT - Public Data Portal This data file is calculated from the monthly snapshots of the input data files, contains the FMCSA SMS data, consists of active Intrastate Non-Hazmat Motor Carriers of property and/or passengers. File is comma delimited. One carrier per row.

DISCLAIMER: FMCSA uses data filters, tailored scripts, and quality assurance checks when generating official statistics from the raw data it receives from motor carriers. The data you are receiving are raw data and have not been filtered or checked for accuracy.  

The FMCSA New Entrant Safety Assurance Program has a wide array of intervention tools to help motor carriers comply with safety regulations. Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) process evaluates why safety problems occur, recommends remedies, encourages corrective action, and when necessary, invokes strong penalties for carriers failing to comply, including an Order for Operation Out of Service (OOS). The Operation OOS Order is an order requiring the carrier to immediately cease all motor vehicle operations.

OUT OF SERVICE ORDERS | DOT - Public Data Portal data file is updated from a 24-hours old database, contains the FMCSA New Entrant Safety Assurance Program OOS data, consists of all entities that have received an OOS order from FMCSA. File is comma delimited. One OOS order per row.