What an FMCSA complaint is and who handles it

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) is a division of the U.S. Department of Transportation that oversees safety rules for commercial trucks and buses. If you have a safety concern about a commercial motor carrier — a trucking company, bus line, or any business operating a commercial vehicle — you can file a complaint with the FMCSA, and they will investigate it.

The FMCSA takes complaints about unsafe driving, vehicle maintenance violations, driver hours-of-service violations (when drivers work too many hours without rest), hazardous materials handling, and other safety issues. You do not need to be a driver or work in the industry to file; anyone who witnesses or is affected by unsafe commercial vehicle operation can report it.

Complaints go to the FMCSA's Safety and Fitness Electronic Records System, known as SAFER. The agency reviews your report and decides whether to investigate. If they find violations, they can issue fines, place restrictions on the carrier's operations, or refer the case to law enforcement.

Key Takeaways

  • You can file an FMCSA complaint online through the SAFER system at saferandsecure.fmcsa.dot.gov or by phone at 1-888-368-7238.
  • Complaints cover unsafe driving, vehicle maintenance problems, driver fatigue violations, and hazardous materials mishandling by commercial motor carriers.
  • You will need the carrier's name or the truck's license plate number, the date and location of the incident, and a description of what you observed.
  • The FMCSA does not may provide investigation of every complaint, but they prioritize reports involving when ready safety risks or patterns of violations.
  • You can file anonymously, and the FMCSA will not share your contact information with the carrier without your permission.

How to file a complaint online through SAFER

The fastest way to file is through the FMCSA's online portal. Go to saferandsecure.fmcsa.dot.gov and look for the "File a Safety Complaint" option. You will be asked to provide information about the carrier and describe what you observed.

Have the following details ready before you start: the carrier's company name or the commercial vehicle's license plate number, the date and time of the incident, the location where it happened, and a clear description of the safety concern. If you witnessed unsafe driving, describe what the driver did — for example, "truck was swerving between lanes without signaling" or "driver appeared to be asleep at the wheel." If the complaint is about vehicle condition, describe what you saw — "trailer had no working brake lights" or "cargo was not secured and shifting."

The form will ask whether you want to remain anonymous. You can choose to provide your name and contact information or file without identifying yourself. If you file anonymously, the FMCSA can still investigate, but they cannot contact you for follow-up questions.

Filing a complaint by phone or mail

If you prefer not to use the online system, you can call the FMCSA's Safety Complaint Hotline at 1-888-368-7238. A staff member will take your report over the phone and enter it into the system. This option works well if you need help explaining the complaint or if you do not have internet access.

You can also mail a written complaint to the FMCSA. Address it to: Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, Office of Safety Assurance, 1200 New Jersey Avenue SE, Washington, DC 20590. Include the same information you would provide online: the carrier name or vehicle plate number, the date and location, and a detailed description of the safety issue.

Phone complaints are usually processed faster than mailed ones because they enter the system when ready. Mail typically takes one to two weeks to reach the office and be logged.

What information you need before filing

The more specific your complaint, the more likely the FMCSA can investigate it. If you have the carrier's name, that is ideal — you can search for it on the SAFER website to confirm it is a registered commercial motor carrier. If you only have the truck's license plate number, that is also useful; the FMCSA can trace it to the carrier.

Write down the date and time of the incident as precisely as you can remember. Include the location — the highway, exit number, or street where you saw the problem. If you were on a highway, note the direction you were traveling and any landmarks you remember.

Describe what you observed in concrete terms. Instead of "the truck was driving dangerously," write "the truck crossed the center line three times in two miles" or "the truck's rear tires were visibly bald." If you saw a violation of hours-of-service rules, explain what made you think the driver had been working too long — for example, "I saw the same truck parked at a rest stop at 2 a.m. and again at 6 a.m., with the driver still inside."

What happens after you file

Once the FMCSA receives your complaint, they log it in the SAFER system. The agency reviews complaints to identify patterns — if the same carrier has multiple safety reports, that raises the priority. Complaints involving when ready danger, such as a report of a driver operating under the influence, are treated more urgently than complaints about maintenance issues.

The FMCSA does not investigate every single complaint. They focus on carriers with repeated violations or complaints that describe serious safety risks. If they decide to investigate, they may conduct a roadside inspection, review the carrier's maintenance records, or interview the driver.

You will not receive a detailed update on the outcome of your complaint. The FMCSA does not share investigation results with the person who filed the report. However, you can check the carrier's safety record on the SAFER website at any time to see if they have violations on file.

Understanding the carrier's safety record on SAFER

The SAFER website is public, and you can look up any commercial motor carrier's safety history without filing a complaint. Go to saferandsecure.fmcsa.dot.gov and search by company name or U.S. DOT number (a unique identifier assigned to each carrier).

The record shows the carrier's safety rating, which can be "Satisfactory," "Conditional," or "Unsatisfactory." It also lists specific violations, inspection results, and any crashes involving the carrier's vehicles. If a carrier has an "Unsatisfactory" rating, the FMCSA may place restrictions on their operations or require them to undergo additional safety audits.

If you file a complaint and later want to check whether the carrier has new violations, you can search SAFER again. New violations will appear in their record, though the FMCSA will not tell you whether your specific complaint led to those violations.

When to contact law enforcement instead

If you witness a commercial vehicle driver who is actively endangering people — for example, driving recklessly at high speed, operating under the influence, or causing a crash — call 911 or the local police when ready. Do not wait to file an FMCSA complaint. Law enforcement can respond right away and stop the when ready danger.

You can file an FMCSA complaint in addition to reporting to police. The two processes are separate: police handle criminal or traffic violations, while the FMCSA handles safety compliance by the carrier as a business. Both reports are useful and do not interfere with each other.

If you are involved in a crash with a commercial vehicle, report it to police first. You can file an FMCSA complaint afterward if you believe the carrier or driver violated safety rules.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I file a complaint if I don't know the carrier's name?

Yes. If you have the truck's license plate number, the FMCSA can identify the carrier. If you only have a description — "a red semi-truck" or "a charter bus" — the complaint will be harder to investigate, but you can still file it with as much detail as you remember about the location and time.

Will the carrier find out who complained about them?

Not if you file anonymously. The FMCSA will not share your name or contact information with the carrier unless you give permission. Even if you provide your name, the FMCSA does not automatically tell the carrier who filed the complaint.

How long does it take the FMCSA to investigate?

There is no set timeline. High-priority complaints involving when ready safety risks may be investigated within days or weeks. Lower-priority complaints may take months or may not be investigated at all if the FMCSA does not see a pattern of violations.

What if the complaint is about a school bus or public transit bus?

School buses and some public transit buses are regulated differently than commercial carriers. For school bus safety concerns, contact your state's Department of Education or the school district directly. For public transit, contact the transit agency or your state's transportation department. The FMCSA handles private commercial carriers.

Can I file a complaint about a taxi or rideshare driver?

No. Taxis and rideshare vehicles like Uber or Lyft are not commercial motor carriers under FMCSA rules. For safety concerns about those services, contact the company directly or report to local police if a crime occurred.