Glossary

Below, you will find a list of terms commonly used in our industry and their definitions. If you would like clarification, please feel free to contact us to learn more.

A B C D E F G H I L M N O P R S T U V W

A

Accident: An event involving a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) that results in a fatality, an injury requiring immediate medical treatment away from the crash site, or one or more vehicles being disabled. The term "crash" can be used interchangeably with "accident". Events involving boarding or exiting a stationary vehicle, or loading and unloading cargo, are not considered accidents.
Acute Noncompliance: Refers to a violation or violations that require a carrier to take immediate corrective actions, regardless of its overall safety posture.
Alcohol: The intoxicating agent found in beverage alcohol, ethyl alcohol, or other low molecular weight alcohols such as methyl and isopropyl alcohol.
Audit: A safety review of a motor carrier's records conducted by the Department of Transportation (DOT). The audit ensures the carrier complies with Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs).

B

Biennial Update (MCS-150): The requirement for motor carriers, freight forwarders, and brokers to update their information with the FMCSA every two years. Needed to receive a USDOT Number.
Bill of Lading (BOL): A crucial document in freight transportation that serves as a contract between the shipper and the carrier, a receipt for goods, and a document of title.
Brake Inspector: Any employee responsible for making sure that all brake inspections, maintenance, service, or repairs meet federal standards.

C

Class One Motor Carrier: A carrier with combined annual interstate and intrastate revenues of $10 million or more.
Class Two Motor Carrier: A carrier with combined annual interstate and intrastate revenues between $3 million and $10 million.
Class Three Motor Carrier: A carrier with combined annual interstate and intrastate revenues of less than $3 million.
Coercion: A threat or act by an individual to withhold business, work opportunities, or take an adverse employment action against another person to make them violate rules or regulations.
Commercial Driver's License (CDL): A type of driver's license necessary to operate large, heavy, or placarded hazardous material vehicles for commercial purposes in the U.S. A CDL requires a higher level of knowledge, skills, experience, and physical ability than a non-commercial driver's license. CDL holders are held to a higher standard when driving any vehicle on public roads.
Special endorsements may also be required to drive vehicles with air brakes, full-time air brakes, hazardous materials, or to operate passenger vehicles.
Entry Level Driver Training (ELDT) requirements for CDL applicants were implemented on February 7, 2022. The ELDT must be provided by a registered training provider listed on the federal Training Provider Registry (TPR). In California, applicants for an original Class A or B CDL must also complete a minimum of 15 hours of behind-the-wheel training and submit a California Commercial Driver Behind The Wheel Training Certification (DL 1236) to the DMV.
Commercial Driver's License Information System (CDLIS): Established by the FMCSA, the CDLIS allows states to share information about the driving records and licenses of CMV drivers. The system helps ensure that a driver is only issued one license and prevents disqualified drivers from obtaining a CDL.
Commercial Learner's Permit (CLP): A CLP is issued by a state or jurisdiction to an individual. When carried with a valid driver's license, it allows the individual to operate a CMV for behind-the-wheel training, as long as they are accompanied by a valid CDL holder. When issued to an existing CDL holder, a CLP serves as an authorization for behind-the-wheel training in a CMV for which the holder's current CDL is not valid.
Commercial Motor Vehicle (CMV): A self-propelled or towed motor vehicle used on a highway in interstate commerce to transport passengers or property. A CMV meets one or more of the following criteria:
Has a gross vehicle or gross combination weight rating of 10,001 pounds or more.
Is designed or used to transport more than 8 passengers (including the driver) for compensation.
Is designed or used to transport more than 15 passengers (including the driver) and isn't used for compensation.
Is used to transport hazardous materials in a quantity that requires placarding.
Compliance: Adherence to the rules, regulations, laws, and standards set by institutions such as the FMCSA, the DOT, the DMV, and other governmental agencies. Areas of compliance include hours of service, vehicle maintenance, hazardous material transportation, and emissions standards. To be in compliance means to be operating safely and legally.
Compliance Review: An on-site examination of a motor carrier's operations to determine if they meet safety and legal standards. This may involve reviewing records on driver qualifications, hours of service, maintenance, inspections, financial responsibility, accidents, and hazardous materials. A compliance review may also be conducted to investigate potential violations or complaints, and it could lead to an enforcement action.
Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA): A comprehensive program by the FMCSA and its state partners that monitors carrier safety and intervenes with carriers to address problems before crashes happen.
Controlled Substance: Substances identified in 49 CFR 40.85. FMCSA rules require urinalysis testing for five specific drugs: marijuana, cocaine, opiates, amphetamines, and phencyclidine (PCP).
Conviction: An unvacated adjudication of guilt or a failure to comply with the law.
Cooperative Safety Plan: A voluntary plan that a carrier can implement with the help of an FMCSA enforcement officer to address safety problems. This plan can be used with a Notice of Violation (NOV) but cannot replace a Notice of Claim (NOC).
Corrective Action Plan: A plan created by a carrier and submitted to the FMCSA. It explains the cause of a safety problem and outlines the steps the carrier will take to correct it and prevent its recurrence.
Critical Noncompliance: Violation(s) related to management or operations that indicate a breakdown in a carrier's management controls.

D

Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV): The government entity that handles direct compensation.
Direct Compensation: Payment made directly to the motor carrier by passengers, or a person acting on their behalf, for transportation services. This payment is not part of a total package charge or other highway transportation service fees.
Disqualification: The suspension, revocation, or cancellation of a CDL.
Driveaway-Towaway: An operation where an empty or unladen motor vehicle is being transported with one or more sets of wheels on the roadway. This includes transportation between:
Vehicle manufacturer facilities.
A manufacturer and a dealership or purchaser.
A dealership and a purchaser or lessee.
To a carrier's terminal or repair facility for damage from a crash or failure of a vehicle component.
By means of a saddle-mount or tow-bar.
Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse: A federal database of CDL holders who have violated FMCSA drug and alcohol testing program requirements. This is critical for compliance.

E

Electronic Logging Device (ELD): An electronic hardware device that attaches to a commercial motor vehicle (CMV) engine, or software for mobile phones and tablets, used to record driving hours and hours of service (HOS). ELDs can also collect data on a vehicle's engine, movement, and miles driven. They keep drivers informed of their status in real-time. Examples include the Garmin Dezl OTR 700 Truck GPS and the EZ-ELD device.
Employer Identification Number (EIN): A unique nine-digit number assigned by the IRS to business entities in the U.S. for identification purposes. It is formatted as XX-XXXXXXX. The EIN is also known as the Federal Employer Identification Number or the Federal Tax Identification Number. It is used to identify the tax accounts of employers and certain others who don't have employees. The number is used for tax administration and should not be used for other purposes, such as tax lien auctions or lotteries. When the number is used for identification rather than employment tax reporting, it's called a Taxpayer Identification Number.
Entry-Level Driver: A driver who has less than one year of experience operating a CMV with a CDL in interstate commerce.

F

Federal Highway Administration (FHWA): The entity responsible for managing and conducting construction and maintenance on national highways, tunnels, bridges, and other infrastructure.
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA): The organization within the DOT that works to prevent commercial vehicle-related injuries and fatalities through safety regulations and information systems.
Financial Responsibility: Policies and bonds that demonstrate a carrier's ability to cover public liability.
For-Hire Carrier: A person or company that transports goods or passengers for compensation. For-hire carriers need to obtain an operating authority (MC number) in addition to a U.S. DOT number.
Form 2290 (Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax Form): An annual federal tax imposed on heavy highway vehicles with a gross taxable weight of 55,000 pounds or more. This is a key compliance document.

G

Gross Vehicle Weight (GVW): The total weight of a vehicle including its cargo, driver, and passengers.

H

Hand-held Mobile Device: Any mobile device that requires at least one hand to be fully operational. To comply with federal regulations, drivers must use an earpiece or speakerphone and use voice-activation or a one-button touch feature to answer, initiate, or end calls.
Hazardous Materials Endorsement (HME): The specific endorsement on a CDL required to transport hazardous materials.
Hours of Service (HOS): The maximum amount of time drivers are allowed to be on duty, including driving time. HOS regulations also specify the number and length of rest periods to help ensure drivers stay awake and alert. Generally, all carriers and drivers operating CMVs must comply with HOS regulations found in 49 CFR 395.

I

Inspection: An evaluation of a driver, a vehicle, or both, to ensure safe operations. The six levels of inspections conducted in North America were developed by the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA). Level 1 is the most comprehensive type of inspection.
Interstate Carrier Program (ICP): This allows the DMV to work with companies to process IRP transactions for qualifying vehicles.
Interstate Commerce: Trade, traffic, or transportation between a place in a state and a place outside that state (including outside the U.S.), or between two places in a state through another state or outside the U.S. It also includes trade between two places in a state as part of a journey that starts or ends outside the state or the U.S. Interstate commerce is defined by the freight's movement, not the vehicle's travel between states.
Intervention: A variety of tools used by the FMCSA to address carriers that violate federal safety regulations. Interventions can include warning letters, inspections, and investigations.
Intrastate Commerce: Any trade, traffic, or transportation within a single state that isn't defined as interstate commerce.
International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA): An agreement that provides a uniform way to administer motor fuel tax collection and laws for apportioned vehicles that travel in multiple member jurisdictions. You qualify for an IFTA license if you operate a qualified motor vehicle in California and at least one other U.S. state or Canadian province that is a member of IFTA. IFTA allows an interstate motor carrier to choose a single base jurisdiction, obtain one fuel tax license for all qualified vehicles, and file one quarterly tax return.
International Registration Plan (IRP): A program for licensing commercial vehicles that operate in interstate commerce among member jurisdictions. The IRP is a registration agreement among the 48 contiguous U.S. states, the District of Columbia, and 10 Canadian provinces. It allows a registered carrier to obtain a single plate and registration cab card to travel in multiple states at specific weights. The IRP is required for interstate carriers that operate in two or more member jurisdictions and have a gross weight exceeding 26,000 lbs. or have three or more axles, regardless of weight. Vehicles that operate only intrastate do not qualify for apportioned registration under the IRP.

L

Longer Combination Vehicle (LCV): Any combination of a truck-tractor and two or more trailers or semi-trailers that operates on the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways. The gross vehicle weight must be greater than 80,000 pounds.
LCV Driver-Training Certificate of Grandfathering: A certificate that shows a driver is exempt from training requirements based on experience.

M

Material Error: A mistake or a series of mistakes that lead to an erroneous safety rating or Safety Audit.
Medical Examiner’s Certificate (DOT Medical Card): A certificate issued by a certified medical examiner indicating that CMV driver is medically qualified to operate a commercial vehicle.
Motor Carrier Number (MC Number): An identifying license granted to carriers by the FMCSA. Companies that operate as for-hire carriers, transport passengers in interstate commerce, or transport federally-regulated commodities or arrange for their transport, are required to have an MC number in addition to a DOT number.
Motor Vehicle Record (MVR): Also known as a driving record, this is the history of your time behind the wheel as recorded by your state's department of motor vehicles. An MVR includes any moving violations, traffic tickets, and accidents you've had during a specific time period or throughout your entire driving history. Auto insurance companies use your MVR, along with other factors, to determine your insurance rates and coverage eligibility.

N

New Entrant: A motor carrier not based in Mexico that applies for a U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) identification number to start operations. A carrier is considered a new entrant for its first 18 months and must complete the New Entrant Safety Assurance Program.
New Entrant Safety Assurance Program: An FMCSA program that educates new motor carriers that operate in interstate commerce and evaluates their safety fitness during their first 18 months on the road.
New Entrant Web System (NEWS): An online system that carriers use to upload documents if they are selected by the FMCSA for an Offsite Safety Audit. Auditors then use NEWS to access the documents and complete the audit.
New Mexico WDT Permit: A weight-distance tax for owners, operators, and registrants of interstate and intrastate commercial vehicles with a declared gross vehicle weight over 26,000 pounds. The tax is based on the vehicle's weight and the miles traveled on New Mexico roads. Companies must register and apply for a New Mexico Weight Distance Tax Electronic Permit for each vehicle every year.
New York Highway Use Tax (HUT) Permit: A tax on motor carriers that operate certain vehicles on New York State public highways, excluding toll-paid portions of the New York State Thruway. The tax is based on mileage traveled on NYS public highways and is calculated at a rate determined by the vehicle's weight and the chosen reporting method.
Notice of Claim: A formal notice indicating that violations are severe enough to warrant a civil penalty.
Notice of Violation: A formal notice that violations are severe enough to warrant formal action but not civil penalties. The carrier must take corrective action and provide evidence of it, or contest the violations, to avoid further intervention from the FMCSA.

O

Off Duty: Any time a driver is free of responsibility for a CMV, is not performing or expected to perform work, and is free to leave the premises to pursue other activities.
On Duty: All time from when a driver begins compensated work, or is required to be ready to work, until they are relieved of all work responsibilities.
Operating Authority: Dictates the type of operation a company can run and the cargo it can carry. Some carriers must obtain operating authority in addition to registering with the FMCSA (getting a U.S. DOT Number).
Out-of-Service Order: A declaration issued by the FMCSA or a law enforcement professional that prohibits a motor carrier or a driver from operating a commercial motor vehicle.
Over-the-Road Bus: A bus that is characterized by an elevated passenger deck located above a baggage compartment.
Owner-Operator: A person who operates a CMV under their own authority (U.S. DOT Number), serving as both a motor carrier and a self-employed driver.

P

Port of Entry: A facility at an international or state border that requires some drivers to stop and show paperwork.
Pre-Employment Screening Program (PSP): A program that gives carriers, individual drivers, and industry service providers access to commercial drivers' safety records from the FMCSA's Motor Carrier Management Information System (MCMIS). A PSP record includes a driver's most recent five years of crash data and the most recent three years of roadside inspection data. The PSP record shows the motor carrier the driver was working for at the time of the crash or inspection, as well as the date and location. A PSP record can also show additional details, such as injuries, fatalities, towaways, and whether a vehicle was placed out of service during an inspection.
Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA): A document that provides information about a program, the need to collect Personally Identifiable Information (PII), and how specific privacy requirements are met. For example, a PIA was necessary for a rule requiring the use of Electronic Logging Devices (ELDs) because the records would include PII.
Private Motor Carrier of Passengers (business): Provides private interstate transportation of passengers in support of a commercial enterprise and is not available to the general public.
Private Motor Carrier of Passengers (non-business): Provides private interstate transportation of passengers that is not for a commercial enterprise and is not available to the general public. Examples include a scout group or a civic organization that purchases a bus for their private transportation.
Proof of Delivery (POD): The paperwork that confirms a load has been delivered. It usually requires a legible signature from the accepting party, along with a date and time stamp.
Public Liability: A motor carrier's responsibility for bodily injury, property damage, and environmental restoration after an accident.

R

Refusal to Submit (to an alcohol or controlled substances test): A driver is considered to have refused to submit to an alcohol or controlled substances test if they:
Fail to appear for a test (except a pre-employment test) within a reasonable time after being directed to do so.
Fail to stay at the testing site until the process is complete.
Fail to provide a urine specimen for a drug test.
Fail to permit the observation or monitoring of a specimen in the case of a directly observed or monitored collection.
Fail to provide a sufficient amount of urine without a valid medical explanation.
Fail or decline to take a second test when directed.
Fail to undergo a medical examination or evaluation as directed.
Fail to cooperate with any part of the testing process.
Are reported by the Medical Review Officer (MRO) as having a verified adulterated or substituted test result.
Roadside Inspection: A type of inspection that may be conducted at various locations, such as weigh stations, border checkpoints, bus terminals, or when a law enforcement official stops a CMV.

S

Safety Audit: An examination of a motor carrier's operations to provide technical and educational assistance on safety and operational requirements. Safety audits are used to gather safety data to assess a carrier's safety performance and basic safety management controls. They do not result in safety ratings.
Safety-Sensitive Function: All time from when a driver starts to work or is required to be ready to work until they are relieved from work and all responsibility for performing work.
Safety Management Controls: The systems, policies, programs, practices, and procedures a motor carrier uses to ensure compliance with safety and hazardous materials regulations.
Safety Measurement System (SMS): A web-based system the FMCSA uses to collect data from roadside inspections (including driver and vehicle violations), crash reports from the last two years, and investigation results. The SMS identifies carriers with safety problems and prioritizes them for interventions.
Safety Rating: An evaluation of a motor carrier's safety performance that is available to both the carrier and the public. The FMCSA issues one of three safety ratings: Satisfactory, Conditional, or Unsatisfactory.
Standard Carrier Alpha Code (SCAC): A unique 2-4 letter code used to identify transportation and trucking companies.
Statement of Information (SOI): A document that must be filed with the state every year for corporations and every two years for LLCs operating in California. Failure to file the SOI in a timely manner will result in a $250 penalty, and the corporation or LLC will be suspended or canceled.

T

Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC): The credential needed to access secure areas of facilities regulated by the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA).

U

Unified Carrier Registration (UCR): A federally mandated program enforced by participating states. Any motor carrier that operates in interstate or international commerce is subject to the Unified Carrier Registration Agreement (UCRA) fees. This includes motor carriers, private motor carriers, leasing companies, brokers, and freight forwarders. UCR applies to anyone with an active USDOT number marked for interstate commerce, regardless of whether it has been used.
U.S. DOT Number: According to the FMCSA, the USDOT Number is a unique identifier used to collect and monitor a company's safety information during audits, compliance reviews, crash investigations, and inspections.

V

Vehicle Identification Number (VIN): A unique number assigned by the manufacturer to each vehicle. The VIN appears on all registration and title paperwork.
Vehicle Miles Traveled (VMT): The total number of miles traveled by vehicles, often used in calculating taxes or assessing highway usage.

W

Weigh Station: A facility where commercial vehicles are required to stop to have their weight checked and ensure compliance with weight limits and other regulations.

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