MOTUS Goes Live May 14

Are You Ready?

Author

Reed Loustalot
May 01, 2026

TRUCK PARKING CLUB

Friday Bulletin • May 1, 2026

Good Morning Truck Parking Club Members,

We’re back with a $25 Survey!

We hear it every day, but we want to know. This week's survey is about what truck parking actually costs you: time, money, safety, and peace of mind. Eight quick questions on how parking affects your shift, your income, and your stress. Takes 2 minutes and gets you $25 off your next booking.

The Big Thing

FMCSA Is Replacing Its 40-Year-Old Registration System. Here's What You Need to Do Before May 14.

FMCSA published a Federal Register notice on April 29 announcing the rollout of MOTUS, a new online registration system that will replace the current Unified Registration System and FMCSA Portal. It is the first major overhaul of the agency's carrier registration infrastructure in decades.

MOTUS consolidates multiple legacy platforms into a single dashboard. Carriers, brokers, freight forwarders, and other registered entities will use it for everything from applying for a new USDOT number to submitting biennial updates, reinstating suspended authority, tracking application status, and uploading supporting documents. The system is mobile-friendly and built around updated identity verification, including integration with Login.gov.

A central motivation behind MOTUS is fraud prevention. FMCSA has reported a significant increase in fraudulent activity across its registration systems, including identity theft, hijacked carrier accounts, the sale of USDOT numbers and PINs, and fraudulent initial registrations. Some of this activity has been linked to foreign actors. The agency says MOTUS is designed to close these gaps by tightening verification at the point of entry and improving the accuracy of records across the system.

The deadline to prepare is May 14. Before that date, every entity with a USDOT number or operating authority needs to log into their FMCSA Portal account and confirm it is active. Accounts that have been inactive for 90 days are automatically disabled, and accounts inactive for 12 months are archived. The Company Official listed in your portal account must use the same Login.gov email to claim your account in MOTUS. If the wrong person is listed, or the email doesn't match, you won't be able to link your records when the system goes live.

FMCSA has also asked carriers to verify that all company information, operation classification, contact details, and authorized users are accurate. The agency recommends saving a copy of your current records so you can cross-check them against what populates in MOTUS.

If you've been following the chameleon carrier conversation from last week, this is the system FMCSA has been referencing. Administrator Derek Barrs told 60 Minutes the current registration process is a "front door problem." MOTUS is the new front door.

Prepare your account: https://portal.fmcsa.dot.gov

Stay Off The Ramp

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WE ASKED HUNDREDS OF DRIVERS ABOUT TRUCK PARKING CLUB

Here’s what they said:

Quick Hits

Super Trucker Membership — $9.99/month

Unmatched flexibility + brand new features, right at your fingertips.

  • 5 refunds per month (cancel before booking starts, money goes to Club Cash)

  • 5 free booking date changes per month

  • 5% Club Cash on every purchase (up from 1%), up to $50/month

  • Access to Truck Navigation with every booking

  • MORE BENEFITS TO COME!

Property Members: Free Signage & Access Controls

Need signage for your lot? Have an automated gate you want connected to our app? We cover it.

News

$81 Million Nuclear Verdict Rocks the Industry A Utah jury awarded $81 million to the family of 12-year-old Michael Madsen, who was killed in a crosswalk by a day cab pulling a flatbed trailer in 2018. The driver did not come to a full stop before making a right turn. It is believed to be the largest civil verdict in Utah history and ranks among the biggest nuclear verdicts the trucking industry has ever seen. The two sides reached a confidential settlement after the verdict. Nuclear verdicts, defined as jury awards exceeding $10 million, have been increasing in both size and frequency. Research from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce found that one in four auto accidents resulting in a nuclear verdict involved a commercial trucking company, and that commercial auto liability costs are growing at roughly 10% per year. FreightWaves

Diesel Falls for Third Straight Week, Still Above $5.35 The national average for diesel dropped to $5.351 per gallon for the week ending April 27, according to EIA. Every region reported a decrease except the Rocky Mountains, which ticked up to $5.27. California slipped to $7.23 but remains by far the most expensive market in the country. BP reported first-quarter profits more than doubled to $3.84 billion in the shadow of the Iran conflict. Prices are trending down but remain well above historical averages, and no one is calling it relief yet. EIA | The Trucker

Carriers Are Calling It: The Upcycle Has Started Landstar reported Q1 earnings per share of $1.16, up 36% year over year, and said April revenue per load is running 13% above last year, "significantly" ahead of normal seasonal trends. It was the company's first year-over-year increase in variable contribution since Q3 2022. Werner posted a 14% revenue increase to $808.6 million and flipped adjusted earnings positive for the first time in a year. Revenue per truck per week climbed nearly 10%. Both companies pointed to tightening capacity, improving rates, and early signs of a sustained recovery. The freight recession may finally be in the rearview, but conditions are still uneven. FreightWaves | Transport Topics

Roadcheck Week: May 12-14 CVSA's International Roadcheck is two weeks away. Inspectors will average 15 inspections per minute across North America for 72 straight hours. This year's driver focus is ELD tampering. Vehicle focus is cargo securement. Capacity typically tightens around Roadcheck as trucks come off the road for inspections. If you haven't checked your equipment, now's the time. CVSA

The Walcott Truckers Jamboree -- July 9-11

The 48th Annual Walcott Truckers Jamboree returns to the Iowa 80 Truckstop off I-80, Exit 284 in Walcott, Iowa. Last year's event drew over 45,000 people.

This year features the Super Truck Beauty Contest, antique truck display, Trucker Olympics, Iowa pork chop cookout, fireworks at 9 PM, and live music all three days. Admission and parking are free.

The Regulars

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