The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has published a supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking to revise its system for registering motor carriers, brokers and freight forwarders. 76 Federal Register 66506 (October 26, 2011). The new Unified Registration System (URS) would combine the USDOT identification number, the motor carrier registration system and the financial responsibility system into a new online registration system. The MC number will no longer used to designate for-hire motor carrier authority. New registrants would have to pay a $300 filing fee and submit a completed new Form MCSA-1.
In addition, the URS would include designation of agents for service of process, and private and exempt for-hire motor carriers, which includes most GAWDA member companies, will be required to designate process agents with the FMCSA for the first time. Private and exempt fleets would have six months from the effective date of the final rule to make the process agent filings. All regulated entities would be required to update registration information every two years.
All entities registered under the URS would be identified by FMCSA solely by the USDOT number. Motor carriers could continue to use obsolete MC numbers for business and advertising reasons, and the FMCSA would not require a motor carrier to remove the existing MC number from its vehicles. But the agency “encourages” motor carriers to refrain from displaying the MC number on new or repainted commercial motor vehicles once the rule becomes final.
Further, all existing private motor carriers that transport hazardous materials in interstate commerce, including most GAWDA members, would be required to maintain and file evidence of financial responsibility with the FMCSA, rather than merely having their evidence of insurance available for inspection at the carrier’s facility. Hazmat carriers would have three months after the effective date of the final rule to have their insurance company make the necessary filings.
