What the New Entrant Safety Audit is
Every new interstate carrier enters an 18-month New Entrant monitoring period. During it, FMCSA runs a safety audit — within 12 months of getting your USDOT number for property carriers, and within 120 days for passenger carriers (Appendix A to Part 385). The auditor reviews your driver qualification files, hours-of-service records, maintenance records and other documents.
Two ways to fail
- Any one of the 16 violations listed in 49 CFR 385.321(b). Most fail on a single occurrence; missing duty-status records and missing periodic inspections fail at 51% or more of the records examined.
- Inadequate safety management controls in three or more of the six audit factors (general, driver, operational, vehicle, hazardous materials, accidents), scored under Appendix A.
A failed audit brings a notice that your new entrant registration will be revoked unless you take corrective action in time. This checklist helps you find gaps early; it doesn't replace the regulations, and only FMCSA decides the result of your audit.