Transportation Department Rolls Out New Trucking Registration System

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Administrator Derek Barrs announced the rollout of a new registration system called Motus on Tuesday. The Department of Transportation said Motus replaces a decades-old network of loosely connected applications.

A press release stated the previous system was overseen by a legacy IT system with data spread across five or six applications.

The previous system created rampant data sprawl, critical information silos, and systemic blind spots, according to the Department of Transportation. This allowed companies with shoddy records to reinvent themselves and bypass safeguards to get their trucks back on the road.

Motus operates through a single digital dashboard and includes mandatory identity verification protocols utilizing government-issued IDs and digital facial scans, the Department of Transportation said.

Duffy said the new system will stop fraud, strengthen oversight on carriers, and improve life for honest drivers who follow the rules. He said the system will improve customer service, enhance reliability, and cut down on red tape. Duffy's focus on trucking fraud increased in February following a crash that left four Amish people dead.

The Department of Transportation said the new system integrates third-party business validation to address fraud at the point of registration.