| Authority |
Generally refers to the federal permit granting authority to operate as a for-hire Carrier |
| Cab Card |
Generally refers to vehicle registration paperwork that is required to be carried in the truck for possible roadside compliance inspection |
| Carrier CSA Performance |
Generally refers to the measurment system implemented under the CSA program that scores companies on safety performance |
| Carrier Rating |
Currently, this refers to a rating given a Carrier after a full compliance review. Rating can be Satisfactory, Conditional, or Unsatisfactory. |
| CDL |
The special driver’s licence required to operate vehicles that operate in excess of 26,000 lbs |
| Company Policy |
In terms of the FMSCR’s, these are the minimum written policies a company must have in place within their trucking operations. |
| Compliance Audit |
Compliance audits are audits of performance by various agencies that ensure Carriers are meeting mandated requirements. Common auditing agencies are FMCSA, IFTA and IRP. |
| CSA |
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) is a Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) initiative to improve large truck and bus safety and ultimately reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities that are related to commercial motor vehicles. |
| Data Q |
Refers to the method of disputing a violation recorded within the CSA program |
| DOT |
Generally refers to departments within the federal, state, county and city governments responsible for overseeing transportation policy |
| DOT Number |
Refers to the number assigned interstate Carriers by the FMCSA or the state DOT for intrastate Carriers for the purposes of tracking safety history |
| Driver |
A person who drives a truck owned by a company |
| Driver Logs |
Refers to the daily log grid drivers must complete to be in compliance with the Hours of Service regulations |
| Driver Performance |
Generally refers to the data collection system implemented under the CSA program, PSP, that collects FMSCR violation data attributed to the driver |
| Driver Qualification File |
Generally the documents an employer is required to obtain in the process of hiring a driver, outlined in the FMCSR’s |
| Drug and Alcohol Program Management |
The program Carriers put into place to meet the mandated FMCSA drug and alcohol testing requirements for drivers with a CDL |
| Fleet |
For registration purposes, a Fleet is a group of vehicles registered to travel in the same jurisdictions |
| FMCSA |
A division of the Department of Transportation that oversees commercial trucking |
| FMCSR |
Safety Regulations for commercial trucking published by the FMCSA |
| Fuel Tax |
See IFTA Taxes |
| Hours of Service |
Generally refers to the regulations in the FMCSR’s that regulate how many hours a driver can drive |
| HVUT |
A Carrier must file Form 2290 and Schedule 1 with the IRS each year if a taxable highway motor vehicle is registered, or required to be registered, in the Carrier’s name under state, District of Columbia, Canadian, or Mexican law at the time of its first use during the period, and if the vehicle has a taxable gross weight of 55,000 pounds or more. |
| IFTA Agreement |
A tax collection agreement by and among the 48 contiguous states and the 10 Canadian provinces bordering the US for the uniform administration of motor fuels use taxation laws with respect to qualified motor vehicles operated in more than one member jurisdiction |
| IFTA Decal |
A Carrier requiring IFTA registers for and annually renews an IFTA License. A decal is issued, placed on each side of the truck, to visually prove the truck is properly registered. |
| IFTA Taxes |
To comply with the IFTA Agreement, a Carrier must file quarterly fuel use tax reports which can result in tax owed or tax due. |
| IFTA |
The International Fuel Tax Association, Inc., more commonly known as IFTA, Inc., is an Arizona not-for-profit corporation formed to manage and administer the International Fuel Tax Agreement. |
| IRP |
The International Registration Plan is a registration reciprocity agreement among states of the United States, the District of Columbia and provinces of Canada providing for payment of apportionable equipment registration fees on the basis of total distance operated in all jurisdictions. |
| Kentucky KYU |
This license is required for vehicles traveling in Kentucky with a registered gross weight of 60,000 lbs. and above to report mileage tax. |
| Lease Agreement |
Generally refers to an agreement between a Carrier and an Owner/Operator that outlines the services the Owner/Operator is expected to perform and rates the Carrier will pay for those services. |
| Log Audit |
As mandated in the FMCSR’s, companies other than owner/operators are required to perform monthly audits on their driver logs to ensure accuracy and compliance. |
| Maintenance Files |
Generally refers to the record-keeping files mandated by the FMCSR’s in reference to the maintenance of equipment |
| MC Authority |
See Authority |
| Mileage Tax |
Refers to taxes paid by the mile traveled for trucks operating in Oregon, New York, Kentucky and New Mexico |
| Motor Carrier |
Generally, any commercial business operating trucks at a greater weight than 10,000 lbs |
| MVR |
The driving record of an individual obtained from the state where the driver’s license was issued |
| New Entrant |
A New Entrant is regarded as a new Carrier within its first 18 months of operation who has yet to have its required New Entrant DOT Audit. |
| New Mexico Permit |
New Mexico imposes a weight-distance tax on owners, operators, and registrants of intra and interstate commercial vehicles with a declared gross vehicle weight in excess of 26,000 pounds. This tax is based on vehicle weight and miles traveled on New Mexico roads. Companies must register and apply each year for a New Mexico Weight Distance Tax Electronic Permit for each vehicle. |
| New York HUT |
New York State imposes a highway use tax (HUT) on motor carriers operating certain motor vehicles on New York State public highways. |
| Oregon Tax/Weight Identifier |
Permanent or temporary paper credentials needed for out-of-state-based truckers to operate in Oregon |
| Owner/Operator |
A person who owns and operates his own commercial truck |
| Permits |
A general term used for the various permits a truck may need to travel in various jurisdictions |
| Previous Employer Verification |
Refers to part of the mandated Driver Qualification File process where employers must verify with previous employers the applicant’s history of any drug or alcohol abuse |
| Process Agents |
Having a process agent is required as part of the process to obtain a Federal Motor Carrier Permit. A process agent is an agent within every state of travel who is authorized to accept legal documents on behalf of the Carrier. |
| Prorate |
Refers to the registration of equipment using the International Registration Plan where fees are charged on a prorated basis, based upon distance traveled. |
| PSP |
Refers to a program accessible by hiring employers, with applicant permission, to view FMCSR violations attributed to the applicant over the past 3 years |
| Reasonable Suspicion Training for Supervisors |
DOT-mandated drug and alcohol awareness training for supervisors that oversee drivers |
| Registrant |
A Registrant is an Owner/Operator who leases his operation to another Carrier and no longer operates under his own authority. |
| Roadside Inspections |
Inspections performed roadside by trained enforcement personnel for compliance with the FMCSR’s |
| Roadside Violations |
FMCSR violations found during a roadside inspection |
| Title Work |
The process of filing truck and trailer paperwork with the state of residence to prove ownership and obtain registration |
| UCR |
Under this program, states collect fees from motor carriers, motor private carriers, freight forwarders, brokers and leasing companies, based on the number of qualifying commercial motor vehicles (CMVs) in their fleets. The revenues generated will be used for enforcement of motor carrier safety programs. |
