FMCSA to Track Driver and Carrier Contact Records

FMCSA Creates New System to Track Driver and Carrier Contacts

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is creating a new system to keep records of contacts with drivers, motor carriers, owner-operators, and other industry members. The system is called DOT/FMCSA 016, Customer Relationship Records. It will collect information from people who contact via phone, email, or chat.

For truck drivers and owner-operators, the main point is simple. A call or message to FMCSA may become part of a longer contact history. Future agency staff may be able to see what was asked before and how the agency responded.

FMCSA Will Keep a Central Record of Contacts

FMCSA said the new system will create a unique contact record for each customer. Authorized agency workers will be able to review past questions and answers tied to that person or business. The agency says this should help staff give more consistent answers.

FMCSA also said the system is meant to reduce what it calls “answer shopping.” The agency said this can happen when a person contacts more than once in hopes of getting a different answer. According to the notice, that can lead to mixed answers and take more time to resolve.

What Information Can FMCSA Keep?

The new FMCSA system can store more than a basic note about a phone call. Records may include a person’s name, mailing address, phone number, email address, company name, job title, and other contact details. The agency may also keep the subject of an inquiry and the response that was given.

Records can also include phone-call details, virtual meetings, emails, and other written messages. Supporting documents sent to FMCSA may be stored as well. The system can also keep portal usernames, timestamps, IP addresses, and other tracking details.

Records Can Be Linked to USDOT Numbers

One detail may be especially important for owner-operators and trucking companies. FMCSA said records can be found by a person’s name, phone number, email address, USDOT number, or operating authority number. That means some contacts can be tied directly to a regulated trucking business.

This may matter most to owner-operators and small carriers. In many small trucking companies, the driver also handles registration, operating authority, insurance, and safety questions. Larger fleets may have safety or compliance staff who contact FMCSA for the company.

Who May Be Included in the FMCSA System?

The FMCSA system covers several groups tied to trucking operations. These include sole proprietors, business owners, operators, company officials, safety managers, registration workers, and authorized account holders. Other people who work with regulated companies may also be included.

The notice also lists people who work for insurers, financial firms, process agent companies, and third-party service providers. People connected to cargo tank facilities may be included as well. That group can include repairers, inspectors, testers, manufacturers, and other specialists.

For most company truck drivers who rarely contact FMCSA, the direct effect may be small. Still, drivers who do contact the agency should know that those contacts may be stored as part of a longer record.

FMCSA Contact Records May Have Compliance Uses

FMCSA says the main purpose of the system is to manage questions, improve service, and help the agency do its work. However, the notice also explains when some records may be shared for regulatory reasons. Those uses can include certain safety and enforcement activities.

Records may be shared with federal, state, local, Tribal, or foreign agencies for motor carrier safety audits, inspections, investigations, or enforcement actions. DOT also allows relevant records to be referred to the proper agency if the information points to a possible civil, criminal, or regulatory violation.

The notice does not say that asking a question will lead to an investigation. It also does not create a new trucking violation or enforcement rule. Still, the notice shows that the records may have uses beyond basic customer service.

No New Trucking Rule or Reporting Requirement

The notice does not change hours-of-service rules, CDL rules, inspection rules, or driver qualification standards. It also does not create a new reporting duty for truck drivers or motor carriers. Instead, the main change is how FMCSA will store and use records from its contacts with the public and trucking industry.

The new records system became effective when the notice was published on August 11, 2026. The routine uses listed in the notice are set to take effect 30 days after publication.

FMCSA Records Could Be Kept for Many Years

FMCSA said the records will be stored in a contractor-run cloud system. The agency said it will use safeguards such as encryption, login controls, audits, and limits on who can view the data. Access is supposed to be limited to workers who need the information for their jobs.

The notice also describes a long record-retention period. It says the records are temporary, but they may be kept for many years under the listed federal schedule. The notice states that records are destroyed 20 years after the end of the event product lifecycle and once they are no longer needed for agency business.

People can ask to see FMCSA records about themselves under Privacy Act rules. They may also challenge information they believe is wrong.

What the New FMCSA System Means for Trucking

The biggest change is that a contact with FMCSA may no longer be treated as a stand-alone event. A driver, owner-operator, carrier official, or safety manager may build a longer contact history over time. Past questions, answers, and documents may remain available during later contacts with the agency.

That makes FMCSA communications more important for owner-operators and compliance teams to track. The agency’s new system is designed to keep a record of what was asked and what answer was given. The system does not change federal trucking rules by itself, but it does change how FMCSA plans to document contacts with the people and businesses it regulates.