Trucking Laws · Nationwide · October 27, 2026

FMCSA Official Tells Truckers There Is Still No Fix Date for the Motus Registration System, and Advises Waiting if Possible

By Big Rig Daily Staff

Truckers and brokers still fighting with FMCSA's new Motus registration system did not get a firm fix date this week. Jesse Elison, deputy administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, spoke Monday, Oct. 26, at FreightWaves' Broker Compliance Symposium in Chattanooga, FreightWaves reported.

Weeks, not months

In early October, Elison said FMCSA was "weeks away" from fixing problems with the Motus rollout. On Monday, he gave no new sign that a fix was at hand, but said it would be "really weeks and not months, not like six months before we tackle this, before we stabilize it."

He said conditions are better than in the first four to six weeks of Motus, "which were really, really brutal."

Still keeping out more than bad actors

Elison said Motus is meant to keep unqualified carriers from registering. "But it is still absolutely more people than just the bad actors we intended it for," he said.

Users with problems should "reach out to us," Elison said. "Please contact us because we move on those in real time."

His advice: wait if you can

FMCSA has waived certain registration requirements because of the Motus problems, FreightWaves reported. Elison's message: "If you don't need to go in, don't go in yet."

For those who must register now and cannot finish, he suggested reaching out to insurance contacts and directly to FMCSA.

More rules on the way

Elison said "you're going to hear a lot more" FMCSA actions like the broker transparency rule, part of rules the agency "is going to deliver on in the very near future." FMCSA's Unified Agenda says the agency is considering a proficiency exam for new entrant carriers, according to FreightWaves.

Other federal items on carriers' radar include the 2027 UCR fees, which a small-carrier group has challenged in court, and a carrier's request for a flashing brake light exemption. More rule news is in Trucking Laws.

For owner-operators weighing their own authority, see owner-operator vs. company driver.

A question for readers

Have you had to get into the new FMCSA registration system yet, and how long did it take?

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