Upcoming Changes Regarding Fraud in the Industry

As the FMCSA begins to restructure the registration process for carriers and brokers, it is imperative to have your ducks in a row. Recent discussions held by the FMCSA have brought light to how severe fraud and double brokering has become in the industry. As a trucking company, now is the time to make sure all your data is correct and up to date with the FMCSA.

Changes coming down the pipeline are going to directly affect the registration process for carriers and brokers. MC numbers will be no more. The agency is going to solely use your DOT number as an identifier for your trucking company. Filing your MC-150 accurately and on time will be of the up most importance as a carrier, as well as the BOC-3 and UCR filings. Ensuring your company is in compliance with FMCSA before they begin a thorough investigation into their databases will help prevent any discrepancies with their data. Essentially, they are going to be looking for fraudulent carriers and brokers, so the required filings will be just one of many ways they can prove you are a legitimate entity.

Now is the time to make sure your data is accurate! After being granted your authority, it is easy to forget to update information with FMCSA as things change within your company. The smallest changes such as phone numbers, email addresses and especially address changes must be updated by filing an MCS-150. These crucial bits of information are going to be used by the FMCSA to verify your company is legitimate as they restructure the registration process, so we cannot stress enough how important it is to make sure your data is up to date and accurate! Our Safety & Compliance department here at NASTC is happy to assist you with any changes you may need to make in preparation for the improvements ahead.

These changes are not only going to affect carriers, but brokers too. One of the reasons behind these advancements is to prevent broker fraud. Thousands of carriers are being taken advantage of daily due to the criminals hiding behind a fake brokerage. As a broker, it is essential that you also make sure all your company’s information is up to date with the FMCSA before the changes up ahead. The FMCSA is hopeful the improvements within the registration system will help eliminate fraudulent brokers, but before that can take place- the system must be cleaned up. By ensuring that your brokerage is in compliance and all data is accurate, your company will be better protected during the large sweeps that will begin in the near future.

As a carrier or broker, you have to watch your own back in this ever-evolving industry. NASTC is here to help. You all have enough hoops to jump through, so we are happy to be the eyes and ears of the upcoming changes. Make sure your data is up to date with the FMCSA and always be prepared to face an audit if the occasion arises. It is difficult enough to keep trucking in the current climate of today’s commercial trucking industry, don’t let the reason your company fails be due to something as minute as an outdated phone number. We all hope the FMCSA stays transparent with us always, so do your part and provide the crucial information needed to keep on trucking!