WASHINGTON, D.C. — The United States Department of Transportation and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration launched a new nationwide carrier registration platform aimed at tightening oversight of commercial trucking operators after years of fraud tied to the federal registration system.
The new system, called Motus, replaces a decades-old network of disconnected registration databases that federal officials said allowed unsafe or fraudulent trucking operators to repeatedly obtain new operating credentials while concealing prior safety violations and enforcement histories.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said the overhaul is intended to address what the department described as widespread abuse of the existing registration process by “chameleon” carriers — operators that shut down and reopen under new identities to evade enforcement actions.
“Dangerous foreign drivers and the shell companies who employ them have been taking advantage of this lax, decrepit federal registration system for years,” Duffy said. “Thanks to President Trump, we are delivering a new registration system that will stop fraud dead in its tracks and strengthen oversight on shady carriers.”
Under the previous framework, applicants could obtain federal trucking registration numbers using limited identity verification, often requiring little more than an email address, business name, and physical address, according to the department.
Federal officials estimate that several thousand suspicious registration numbers may be tied to fraudulent carriers.
The Motus platform introduces biometric identity verification, government-issued ID validation, and business authentication tools intended to prevent operators from cycling through new registrations after safety violations or enforcement actions.
FMCSA Administrator Derek D. Barrs said the system is designed to consolidate multiple legacy applications into a single platform while improving data quality and enforcement capabilities.
“FMCSA’s registration modernization effort represents a major advancement in how the agency oversees and supports the commercial motor vehicle industry,” Barrs said. “This system improves efficiency for legitimate carriers while strengthening FMCSA’s ability to detect fraud, improve data quality, and identify unsafe operators.”
The department said Motus also streamlines registration renewals and compliance filings through a unified online dashboard intended to reduce administrative burdens for legitimate carriers, brokers, and freight forwarders.
The new system includes tools designed to help regulators and law enforcement identify high-risk operators more quickly through integrated data analysis and centralized records management.
The rollout comes as federal regulators face increasing scrutiny over commercial vehicle safety enforcement and the use of shell companies by carriers attempting to bypass out-of-service orders, insurance requirements, or safety penalties.
Motor carriers using the new platform must access the system through a login.gov account, according to FMCSA. Existing users of the FMCSA portal are required to use the same credentials to retain access to prior registration records.
Additional information and registration guidance are available through FMCSA.gov.
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