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Truck Cab Marking Requirements

Vehicle Identification Requirements

Motor carriers operating in Oregon must display two things on both sides of each power unit:
  1. The carrier’s legal name or a single trade name of the business that owns or controls operations.
  2. The carrier’s U.S. DOT number.
If someone other than the operating carrier is operating a commercial motor vehicle, the vehicle must be marked like the following example: 
  • Joe Smith (name of lessor, owner-operator)
    Operated by
    John Doe Trucking
    USDOT# 1234567
Exceptions
  • The requirements do not apply to vehicles 26,000 pounds or less (gross combination weight rating) if used only in intrastate private carriage, except:
    o Vehicles hauling hazardous materials of a type or quantity requiring placarding, or
    o Passenger vehicles with a seating capacity of 15 or more including the driver.
  • Carriers conducting for-hire operations with passenger vehicles with a seating capacity of 9 to 15, including driver, are only required to display the U.S. DOT number. 

Cab Marking Appearance

The letters and numbers placed on the truck must:
  • “Contrast sharply” with background colors.
  • Be large enough to be seen from a distance of 50 feet during daylight hours when the vehicle is stationary.

Questions and Answers

Do these vehicle identification requirements apply to everybody around the country? 
Yes, the U.S. DOT set these requirements in July 2000 and they apply to interstate carriers who operate throughout the country. They also apply to intrastate carriers who operate within a state because most states adopt and follow federal commercial vehicle regulations. (See 49 CFR 390.21, Marking of Commercial Motor Vehicles.) With all carriers identified by a U.S. DOT number it is possible to accurately link them with safety inspection and accident data in a national databank of information.

How do carriers get a U.S. DOT number?
Companies that operate commercial vehicles transporting passengers or hauling cargo in interstate commerce must be registered with FMCSA and must have a USDOT Number. 
• New motor carriers must register with FMCSA and apply for a USDOT Number (form MCS-150).
• Motor carriers already assigned a USDOT number are required to update their information with FMCSA every two years.

What if an intrastate carrier changes and starts operating interstate?
The carrier needs to complete a new MCS-150 form and update its information. 

Need more information?

  • Contact the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration 
  • at 503-399-5775.
  • Email questions to CCD.