New Entrant Program

On May 13, 2002, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) published its New Entrant Safety Assurance Process Interim File Rule (IFR). The new regulations established minimum requirements for new entrant motor carrier (any carrier applying for a new U.S. Dot Number on or after January 1, 2003) to ensure they are knowledgeable about the applicable Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) and Hazardous Materials Regulations (HMRs). It is FMCSA's intent to improve the safety performance of new entrants by providing educational and technical assistance to all new entrant carriers through the use of safety audits. Consistent with the IFR, safety audits are conducted on all new entrants within 18 months of the start of their operation. The carrier must pass the audit in order to received permanent DOT registration. The safety audit and 18-month monitoring period serve to provide new carriers the opportunity to understand their safety obligations under our regulations

A process review on the MCSAP New Entrant Program was made in order to assess effectiveness and to seek improvements in the program wherever feasible. This review was conducted in accordance with the guidelines set forth in Volume 6, Chapter 2 of the Motor Carrier Administrative Training Manual which states that each division office conduct a program review of each MCSAP element (area) once every three years.

This review consists of visiting the headquarters office and visiting with the State of Tennessee's New Entrant Coordinator. Applicable files were made a part of this review.

Responsible State Agency

The lead agency, which administers the grant for the State of Tennessee, is the Department of Safety. The MCSAP is assigned to the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Presently, all new entrant audits are conducted by MCSAP's lead agency.

Division Office Review Personnel

State Contacts