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May 31, 2006

BEWARE: DOT SCAM Watch your Fax Machine!


There have been a large number of motor carriers receiving bogus faxes on USDOT letterhead. This fax requests financial information on the carrier stating that this will qualify you for being a DOT contractor. DO NOT PROVIDE any financial information as this is NOT from the USDOT. This issue is currently being investigated by the Inspector General’s Office.
The Bogus fax contains a phrase to the effect: “In February 2006, the procurement plan for the second semester of 2006 will be finalized. To be eligible for procurement with the US DOT, you must submit the abovementioned form to us by fax at 202-318-2163.” Do not send any information to this fax number.

May 30, 2006

New State Law In Massachusetts - Terminal Audits

Beginning in June 2006, Massachusetts State Police are authorized to perform Terminal Audits for Commercial Motor Vehicles. The regulation reads, in part: “The department of state police may enter, during regular business hours, the commercial premises owned or leased by a commercial carrier, wherein the records, required to be maintained under the regulations established under this section, are stored or maintained and inspect, in a reasonable manner, the records for the purpose of enforcing the regulations. If the records contain evidence of violations of the regulations, the inspecting officer shall produce and take possession of copies of the records, and in the event that the entity subject to inspection does not possess copying equipment, the inspecting officer shall arrange to have copied, in a reasonable time and manner, the records that contain evidence of the violations, and the costs for the copying shall be assessed against the owner of said records.  The department of state police shall coordinate its activities under this section with the federal motor carrier safety administration to ensure compliance with all federal and state laws and regulations.  Municipal police officers or municipal police departments shall not conduct terminal audits; routine commercial carrier inspections; or, without probable cause, a random inspection of a commercial carrier.” The full text of the regulation can be found at: http://www.mass.gov/legis/bills/house/ht02/ht02113.htm.