Laws And Rules
The Motor Carrier Safety Program provides safety oversight of privately-owned companies that provide transportation services within Washington state. The purpose of the Motor Carrier Safety Program is to reduce accidents by performing vehicle inspections and safety investigations.
During safety investigations our program inspects company vehicles used to provide service to the public, investigate safety complaints, and help regulated companies understand and comply with state and federal safety requirements.
These transportation companies include (passenger) charter and excursion buses, non-profit buses, airport shuttles, rail contract crew transportation, (property) common carriers, residential household goods moving companies, and solid waste carriers.
The UTC does not regulate traffic. We recommend trying the Washington State Patrol's traffic conditions page or request information from WSDOT.
I want to...
- Prepare for a safety evaluation / compliance review
Review new passenger carrier checklist- View UTC's Achieving a Satisfactory Motor Carrier Safety Record guide for regulations and forms
- View drug and alcohol safety information
- Answer Electronic Logging Devices (ELD) questions
- See Hours of Service (HOS) rules
- See UTC's Public Notice of Title VI Program
Companies We Regulate
Top UTC Regulated Motor Carrier Violations that effect Safety Ratings as of 12/31/2023 YTD
(Top Acute, Critical and Critical-Type Violations)
| # | Citation | Violation Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | 49 CFR 395.8(a)(1) | Failing to require a driver to prepare a record of duty status using appropriate method. |
| 2. | 49 CFR 396.17 (a) | Using a commercial motor vehicle not periodically inspected. |
| 3. | 49 CFR 391.45(a) | Using a driver not medically examined and certified. |
| 4. | 49 CFR 391.51(b)(2) | Failing to maintain driver qualification file on each driver employed. |
| 5 | 49 CFR 391.51(a) | Failing to maintain inquiries into driver's driving record in driver's qualification file. |