National Transportation Consultants News
Find out what’s happening with National Transportation Consultants, our partners, and our clients.
DataQs Revisions: What Motor Carriers Need to Know
The online system DataQs is used to request and track reviews of crash and inspection data. Users can review their own data and request corrections to erroneous or incomplete data. Each year FMCSA publishes information on approximately 3 million inspections, 5 million...
Section 393 Waivers: What Motor Carriers Should Know
Parts and Accessories Waivers Over the past few years over a dozen waiver applications have been filed with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) with regards to lighting, mirrors, and warning devices. The most common involve lighting, and...
Roadside Inspection Programs
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) Operation SafeDRIVE was conducted earlier this year by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). During the three-day effort, FMCSA inspectors, and law enforcement partners in 26 states and the...
Financial Responsibility Requirements
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has released a report with this lengthy title: Examining the Appropriateness of the Current Financial Responsibility and Security Requirements for Motor Carriers, Brokers, and Freight Forwarders – Report to...
CVSA Out-of-Service Criteria Changes
CVSA Out-of-Service Criteria Changes Last year, the voting members of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) approved seventeen changes to the out-of-service criteria which went into effect on April 1: 1. Two sections were amended to separate CDL endorsements...
Regulatory Changes
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has made some changes to 49 CFR to streamline and clarify some sections, as discussed below: Electronic Driver Vehicle Inspection Report (Effective March 23, 2026) The agency has added language to §396.11 to...
Medical Examiner’s Certificate
By now, all 50 states should be able to accept electronic medical examiner’s certificates (MEC) and use that upload to automatically update the medical expiration date on the driver’s CDL record. Unfortunately, there are still eight states that are unable to comply....
Rear Light Exemptions
Two truck light manufacturers have filed exemption requests with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Both companies want the ability to equip commercial trucks and trailers with lights at the rear that flash and/or are amber in color. One system...
Trucking Litigation
The American Transportation Research Institute (ATRI) has released a study titled “Trucking Litigation: A Forensic Analysis.” The sixty-page report discusses litigation trends and developing areas of concern. The content of this article is taken from the report. The...
Minimum Age Exemption
The American Trucking Associations (ATA) has petitioned the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) for a 5-year exemption to allow motor carriers that previously participated in the Agency’s Safe Driver Apprenticeship Pilot (SDAP) program, which ended on...