FMCSA’s new Motus registration system is a necessary step forward. The agency needs a modern platform that gives it better control over data, improves its ability to analyze that data, and helps identify fraud, chameleon carriers, shell operations, and other bad actors trying to enter or already in the registration system. This is the long-term promise, though the short-term reality has been messy. The rollout has been rocky, and FMCSA’s communication has not always matched the experience of users on the ground.
Carriers, insurers, brokers, and compliance professionals have reported significant problems, including carriers being unable to claim their USDOT numbers, users being locked out of accounts, insurance filings not processing properly, inability to see current CSA data, and inconsistent operating-authority information between Motus and legacy systems like SAFER, among others.
Those inconsistencies and data gaps matter. A carrier may appear active in SAFER but inactive in Motus, or vice versa. We have also seen examples where MOTUS itself is internally inconsistent, including a carrier status listed as “Active” while the status reason shows “Revoked.”
These are not minor technical issues. Registration status affects whether a carrier can operate, whether insurance filings can be processed, whether a broker or shipper will tender freight, and how law enforcement verifies authority to operate. In some cases, carriers may be unable to move loads or prove their authority through no fault of their own.
The timing makes the problem more serious. In light of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Montgomery v. Caribe, brokers are applying greater scrutiny to carrier-selection decisions and operating-authority verification. When FMCSA data is conflicting or unreliable, many brokers will choose the safest commercial option: move on to another carrier.
FMCSA’s outreach has added to the frustration. The pre-rollout training and communication did not fully prepare users or customer service operators for the transition. Then, when problems emerged, the agency continued to tout the system’s success. In one message, FMCSA proudly stated that they had launched Motus without compromise.” While touting meager successes, the message encouraged users in good standing to “beat the rush by waiting to log in.” That messaging may have reflected the agency’s long-term confidence in the project, but it did not express the immediate reality for users who could not access accounts, process filings, or rely on the data being displayed. Clearer communication would have helped alleviate confusion and taken pressure off a system that was clearly struggling under the weight of tremendous interest and activity.
Even when users have been able to reach FMCSA customer service, escalation has been difficult. Front-line customer service representatives cannot access or correct the underlying system issue themselves; instead submitting helpdesk tickets for IT review, leaving carriers waiting for a back-end fix with little visibility into timing or priority.
With all this being said, this project is no small feat. FMCSA has many old legacy systems containing millions of records. And with millions of users, there are bound to be issues that arise. All of us have been through IT modernization efforts, and they often have hiccups along the way.
The long-term goal of Motus is sound, and there is no doubt that this effort is necessary and long overdue. The Agency should be commended for taking the leap to get it done. Combining multiple systems will improve data quality, fraud detection, and enforcement. But this rollout has reminded us of a lesson many learn when they are young. The Five P’s: “Prior planning prevents poor performance.” When the system of record determines whether a carrier can operate, process insurance filings, or secure a load, errors need to be treated as operational emergencies.