The DOT and the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) are two of the biggest regulatory agencies in the US, and both are in charge of important tasks in the transportation sector. The DOT is the central authority, setting safety standards for all modes of transportation: airplanes, rail, seagoing, and highways. Its purpose is to keep Americans safe, efficient, and available for all transportation. The DOT has control over all transportation infrastructure and policies, driving innovations and developing comprehensive safety policies across the country.
The FMCSA, meanwhile, is a separate department within the DOT that is only supposed to oversee the commercial trucking and busing sectors. Created to ensure road safety, FMCSA prescribes and regulations for commercial motor vehicles (CMVs). Two of the most important FMCSA regulations are the Hours of Service limits (HOS) — which prevent driver fatigue; and the Electronic Logging Device (ELD) rule, which ensures the accurate recording of driving time to reduce accidents.
