The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) maintains its National Consumer Complaint Database in order to allow consumers and other to notify the FMCSA regarding complaints against motor carriers. In addition to the website (nccdb.fmcsa.dot.gov), the FMCSA also has a phone number available for complaints (1-888-DOT-SAFT). The database was updated to be more “user-friendly” and to allow more detail when complaints are filed. The database is intended to improve motor carrier safety enforcement, improve consumer protection by ensuring that moving companies use fair business practices and identify and address discrimination and service issues.
The complaint system is broken down into three areas:
(1) Public reports of complaints, safety problems or other issues with motor carriers, including trucking companies and bus companies;
(2) Drivers or other employees, such as safety managers, of bus or trucking companies reporting complaints or safety issues; and
(3) Individuals in the industry, such as bus and trucking companies, shippers, insurers, brokers, owner/operators or purchasers and users of cargo tanks, reporting complaints or safety issues.
Once a complaint is initiated, the system walks you through a series of questions and option menus to help ensure that your complaint is correctly identified. The system also gives you examples and necessary “requirements” for the FMCSA to investigate the claim. For instance, if you wish to report unsafe behaviors or conditions by a trucking company – “I witnessed a truck driving recklessly on the interstate” – the system identifies that the travel must be between two or more states and the incident had to occur within the past 60 days.
The FMCSA indicates that it may call the complainant for additional information. It also states that the FMCSA will contact the complainant to inform him or her of what actions were taken, if any, by the FMCSA.
The complaint system is intended for the investigation of events that have already occurred. The FMCSA strongly recommends that if there is an immediate safety emergency, you should call 911.
The Law Offices of John David Hart has decades of experience in litigation of tractor-trailer crashes. If you have any questions regarding a tractor-trailer crash, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our office can be reached by phone at 817-870-2102 or by email at johnhart@hartlaw.com.
