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Motor Carrier Identification

Motor Carrier Information:
The information on interstate or intrastate carriers is provided to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which uses the data to target unsafe carriers for more in-depth investigations. Therefore, it is critical to report the correct carrier name, identification number and address.
Identifying Motor Carriers:
Most carriers involved in crashes can be identified by the company name and US DOT Number on the driver's side of the vehicle. At times, in a smaller percentage of the cases, determining the motor carrier and recording this important information can be difficult!

DOT Marking Requirements from CFR 390.21
The vehicle marking must show:
- the legal or single trade name of the company operating the vehicle, and
- the motor carrier identification number, issued by the FMCSA preceded by the letters "USDOT"
If the name of a person other than the operating carrier appears on the vehicle, the name of the operating carrier shall be noted as "operated by."
Multiple Names and Numbers
This vehicle is properly marked. Of note, in a leasing situation a vehicle can have multiple names and/or numbers. This can make it more difficult to record the information accurately for the responsible carrier.