Suspended by Motus over a $1 million insurance requirement?
On October 27, Motus suspended hundreds of carriers whose records suddenly required $1,000,000 of liability insurance while their insurer had filed $750,000. Here's how to fix it yourself for free, or hand it to me.
What happened
Motus, FMCSA's registration system, reworked carrier records in late October. For a large group of carriers it raised the liability insurance requirement from $750,000 to $1,000,000, in some cases by listing general freight as hazardous materials. Where the insurer's filing on record was $750,000, the authority was suspended on October 27 with no reason given. CCJ reported thousands of carriers affected; FMCSA hasn't commented.
To check yours, look up your docket number on FMCSA's Licensing and Insurance site, which shows the insurance required next to the insurance on file, and your record in Motus public search.
Fix it yourself, free
If you don't haul hazmat, non-hazardous freight in trucks over 10,000 lbs only needs $750,000 (49 CFR 387.9). Ask FMCSA to correct the requirement. Its instructions say to make sure your USDOT record is current, then open a ticket at ask.fmcsa.dot.gov with:
- Your USDOT number
- Your MC number
- The insurance requirement it should be ($750,000)
- An updated MCS-150 if your cargo listing is wrong
If your policy already covers $1,000,000, ask your insurer to refile your BMC-91 at $1,000,000. Once it shows on your record, request reinstatement in Motus.
Either way, don't run loads across state lines while your authority shows suspended, and don't pay anyone who says they know someone at FMCSA who can fix it overnight. That's a scam or a bribe.
Or hand it off, $199
- I check your record and tell you which fix applies: a wrong cargo classification, a filing that's lower than your policy, or both.
- I write the FMCSA ticket and the request to your insurer, and send them for you or walk you through sending them.
- I follow up with FMCSA until your authority shows active again, and tell you what to send brokers who still show you as suspended.
Money back if FMCSA fixes it on its own before I file anything, or if you're not reinstated within 30 days of sending me what I ask for.
After you pay, I email you within a few hours, 7 days a week while this is going on, asking for your insurance declarations page and your insurer's contact details.
Who I am
I'm Scott Mandrell, a software engineer in California. I built this site's free deadline lookup and Motus guide from FMCSA's own data and rules. I'm not with FMCSA, not an insurance agent and not a lawyer, and I can't change your record myself. Only FMCSA and your insurer can. What I do is make sure they get exactly the right request and that it doesn't sit.
Common questions
Will paying the $80 reinstatement fee fix it?
Not on its own. Reinstatement can't go through while the filing on record is below the requirement, so either the requirement has to be corrected or the filing raised first. Carriers who paid the fee first report it didn't work.
Do you need my Motus or Login.gov password?
No, never. If you want me to work in Motus for you, you add me as a service provider from your own account and can remove me at any time. Otherwise I write everything and you send it.
Can you guarantee FMCSA's timing?
No. FMCSA says requests to change an insurance requirement take 2 business days when complete, but carriers report waits of weeks during the Motus problems. That's why the refund applies if you're not reinstated within 30 days.
Are you an insurance agent?
No. I don't sell insurance or recommend policies. If your insurer needs to refile, I write the request; your insurer does the filing.