Trucking companies are being warned against scams that ask for money to file their DOT biennial update.
The Wisconsin Department of Transportation issued an alert Friday, Aug. 30, and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration followed up via a Facebook post reminding truckers of misleading and fraudulent marketing.
WisDOT says companies and websites that want drivers to pay are not associated with the U.S. DOT or WisDOT. Filing can be done for free on government websites. The agency says links in the scam letters and emails lead to websites that are not connected with the U.S. DOT. The letters and emails also include threats or fines for failure to pay.
FMCSA requires all trucking companies and businesses under its jurisdiction to update their information every two years, even if none of the information has changed. Information on the biennial update form (Form MCS-150) includes the name and location of the business, operational information, number of vehicles and drivers in the fleet and more. More information about FMCSA’s biennial updates can be found here.
WisDOT and FMCSA say that while trucking companies have to renew their USDOT number with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration every two years, filing can be done for free on the FMCSA website.
