USDOT number
A USDOT number is the unique census identifier FMCSA assigns to a company. It ties inspections, crashes, and registration to one record. A number on a website counts only when the federal record shows the same legal name.
Key facts
- Where to look
- SAFER company snapshot or the Licensing and Insurance search
- Source: safer.fmcsa.dot.gov
The sources are listed on this page.
The USDOT number is the identifier in FMCSA's census. Companies that operate commercial vehicles hauling cargo in interstate commerce must have one. Some states also require it for intrastate carriers. SAFER describes it as the number MCMIS assigns to a census record. Each company should have only one active census number. The digits have no coded meaning. They are issued in sequence.
How to look it up
Use SAFER or the Licensing and Insurance search. Enter the number, not the slogan on the homepage. Compare the legal name and the address with the contract. If they differ, stop. A number can belong to a company that is out of business, or it can be copied from a stranger. Check the day of pickup.
The older FMCSA consumer advisory said transporters receive a USDOT number and that both brokers and carriers receive an MC docket. Current registration pages say an interstate for-hire company needs the USDOT number and, separately, operating authority. Read the authority line. The census number alone does not say the company may broker or haul today.
RideShipper can point you at the public record. The record itself is FMCSA's. A copy stored on a quote site can be older than this morning's filing.