USDOT Number Lookup

Free USDOT number lookup — safety ratings, fleet size, and authority status for 4.4 million carriers. Search any motor carrier by name or USDOT number to see its operating status, safety rating, fleet size, and authority details from FMCSA public records.

What is a USDOT number?

A USDOT number is a unique identifier the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) assigns to companies that operate commercial vehicles in the United States. Interstate carriers must register for one, and most states also require them for intrastate commercial operations. The number stays with the company for life and is the key to its entire public safety record: inspections, crashes, audits, and registration details all attach to it.

Who must register with the FMCSA?

In general, a company needs a USDOT number if it operates vehicles over 10,000 pounds in interstate commerce, transports 9 or more passengers for compensation, or hauls hazardous materials that require placarding. Freight brokers and for-hire carriers additionally need operating authority, which is tracked under an MC number. Many of the 4.4 million carriers in FMCSA records are single-truck owner-operators; a small fleet is normal, not suspicious.

How to read a safety rating

After a compliance review, the FMCSA assigns one of three ratings. Satisfactory means the carrier met the safety standard. Conditional means the carrier had inadequate safety controls but may continue operating. Unsatisfactory generally forbids the carrier from operating. Most carriers have no rating at all — the FMCSA only has resources to review a fraction of registered companies, so an unrated carrier has simply never been through a full review.

How to vet a carrier before you hire one

Check four things. First, operating status: an inactive or out-of-service carrier should not be moving freight. Second, the safety rating, keeping in mind that unrated is common. Third, insurance: for-hire carriers must maintain minimum liability coverage on file with the FMCSA. Fourth, scale: verify the fleet size matches what the company claims. Cross-check anything critical against the FMCSA's own SAFER system, since registration data changes daily and this site reflects the most recent quarterly census snapshot.

Browse carriers by state

About this data

All information on this site comes from the FMCSA Motor Carrier Census, a public dataset published by the U.S. Department of Transportation. We refresh it quarterly. This site is independent and not affiliated with the FMCSA or USDOT.