Are you a Motor Carrier?

49 CFR 390.3 – GENERAL APPLICIBILITY

49 CFR 390.5 – DEFINITIONS

USE THE FOLLOWING FLOW CHARTS TO DETERMINE IF THE FMCSA REGULATIONS APPLY TO YOU, IF YOU NEED OPERATING AUTHORITY, AND IF YOU NEED A COMMERCIAL DRIVER’S LICENSE

Are You Subject to the Motor Carrier Safety Regulations?

Is Operating Authority Required?

  • Interstate commerce is defined by the intent of the shipment. If the intent of the shipment is to leave the state directly, or as part of a shipment which is going out of state or coming into the state, it is considered Interstate Commerce.

  • FMCSA’s list of exempt commodities can be found at fmcsa.dot.gov.

  • Questions about a carrier’s authority status?
    Call FMCSA’s Information Line at 1-800-832-5660.

    • Do I Need a CDL?

    Gross Combination Weight Rating (GCWR) is the greater of:
    1. A value specified by the manufacturer of the power unit, if such value is displayed on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Standard (FMVSS) certification label required by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration,
    or
    2. The sum of the gross vehicle weight ratings (GVWRs) or the gross vehicle weights (GVWs) of the power unit and the towed unit(s), or any combination thereof, that produces the highest value.
    Exception: The GCWR of the power unit will not be used to define a commercial motor vehicle when the power unit is not towing another vehicle.