Freight glossary / Compliance and authority

What is USDOT number in freight?

A USDOT number is the unique identifier the Department of Transportation assigns to a company operating commercial vehicles, and it is the key everything else about that company hangs off. Safety records, inspection history, crash data, and fleet size are all reported against it. Unlike an MC number it identifies the operation itself rather than its authority to haul for hire.

Also called: dot number, usdot.

Related terms

• MC number
• Operating authority
• FMCSA
• SAFER
• CSA score