Safety is perhaps the most important thing any truck driver is concerned with. The Department of Transportation (DOT) creates and enforces federal regulations to ensure that we are driving safely, wherever our route may take us. These safety regulations include properly registering commercial vehicles using a DOT number, assigned based on size and designated usage. Learn more about how DOT numbers are involved in your career as a truck driver with Bay & Bay Transportation in Minneapolis, MN.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) explains that DOT numbers are a means of registering commercial vehicles that meet certain qualifications. You may require a DOT number if your vehicle:
- Transports hazardous materials, either within one state or from one state to another.
- Transports over eight passengers, including the driver, with compensation.
- Transports over fifteen passengers, including the driver, without compensation.
- Hauls cargo for interstate commerce.
- Has a gross vehicle weight rating or gross combination weight rating greater than 10,000 pounds.
Not every state requires a DOT number outside of normal federal regulations. If your truck driving career is based in Minneapolis, MN, you may already know that Minnesota is one of the 33 states that do currently require this registration. The full list is available on the FMCSA website. For intrastate transportation in Minnesota, you must have a DOT number if your vehicle has a gross vehicle weight of over 10,000 pounds.
Your commercial vehicle must be registered with a DOT number before you can use it for interstate commerce. Fortunately, obtaining a DOT number is a straightforward process. The FMCSA allows you to apply conveniently online. Although applying is free, you will be asked to provide a credit card that shares your business mailing address in order to verify your information. You can also apply using a handwritten MCS-150 application, sent in the mail.
Contact Bay & Bay Transportation at 888-801-3026 whenever you have questions regarding your career as a truck driver in Minneapolis, MN. Working together, we make our nationwide fleet a success.