The purpose of this site is to provide the latest information relating to the New Entrant Safety Assurance Process Effective February 17, 2009. Compliance is required by December 16, 2009.

The new regulations raise the standard of compliance for passing the new entrant safety audit. The Agency identifies 16 regulations that are essential elements of basic safety management controls necessary to operate in interstate commerce and makes a carrier's failure to comply with any one of the 16 regulations an automatic failure of the safety audit. Additionally, if certain violations are discovered during a roadside inspection, the new entrant now will be subject to expedited actions to correct these deficiencies. The Agency now will also check compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and certain household goods-related requirements in the new entrant safety audit, if they apply to the new entrant's operation. Failure to comply with either of these requirements will not affect the outcome of the safety audit; however, the Agency will take appropriate actions to improve compliance.

The Agency has enhanced the quality and availability of its educational and technical assistance (ETA) materials to ensure applicants are knowledgeable about applicable Federal motor carrier safety standards.

FMCSA believes this rule will improve the Agency's ability to identify at-risk new entrant carriers and ensure deficiencies in basic safety management controls are corrected before the new entrant is granted permanent registration. These changes do not impose additional regulatory requirements on any new entrant carrier because these carriers are already required to comply with all applicable rules.

For questions regarding the New Entrant Safety Assurance Process, please call the FMCSA Help Line at 1-800-832-5660. For other inquiries, please contact newentrant@dot.gov.
.