Everything you need to
know before you start.

DOT Compliance Watch is a compliance management platform built specifically for FMCSA-regulated motor carriers. We help you track, organize, and manage all six core areas of DOT compliance: driver qualification files (49 CFR Part 391), drug and alcohol testing (Part 382), vehicle and fleet records (Part 396), insurance and operating authority (Part 387), hours of service and ELD compliance (Part 395), and safety and accident records (Part 385). The platform tracks expiration dates and sends you alerts 60, 30, and 10 days before anything expires — so you're never caught off guard during a roadside inspection or DOT audit.

DOT Compliance Watch was built by Robert Caldwell, a trucking industry veteran with 30 years of experience — including time behind the wheel, building a fleet of 22 trucks, and surviving four DOT compliance audits. Every feature in the platform is based on a real audit finding, a real roadside violation, or a real compliance gap we experienced firsthand. This isn't software built by developers who read the CFR. It's software built by someone who lived the consequences of getting it wrong.

For the Basic Plan, yes — it's a self-managed tool that gives you the same organizational systems a good compliance consultant would set up, without the $300/hour fees. For the Full Plan, you also get a dedicated compliance specialist who manages your file for you, which is the closest thing to having an in-house compliance department without the salary. Neither plan provides legal advice or representation before FMCSA — we're a compliance management platform, not a law firm.

The key difference is who does the work. On the Basic Plan ($139.99/mo), you log in and manage your own compliance records — uploading documents, entering data, tracking expirations. The platform does the reminding; you do the filing. On the Full Plan ($599.99/mo), a dedicated compliance specialist manages everything for you. You send us documents — by email, photo, or upload — and we enter them, organize them, and keep your entire compliance file current. You focus on running your business.

No. Both plans cover unlimited drivers and unlimited vehicles at the flat monthly rate. Whether you have 1 driver or 100, the price stays the same. We built it this way intentionally — compliance obligations don't scale linearly with fleet size, and neither should your software costs.

Yes. Annual billing saves you 20% compared to paying month-to-month. The Basic Plan drops from $139.99/mo to $111.99/mo billed annually ($1,343.88/year). The Full Plan drops from $599.99/mo to $479.99/mo billed annually ($3,839.88/year). You can switch between monthly and annual billing at any time by contacting support.

You can cancel at any time — no contracts, no cancellation fees, no questions asked. Your access continues until the end of your current billing period. We also offer a 30-day money-back guarantee on your first payment. If you're not satisfied for any reason within 30 days of your first charge, email us and we'll issue a full refund.

Yes — we require a card to start your 14-day free trial, but nothing is charged until day 15. Stripe will send you a reminder email before your trial ends. You can cancel anytime before then and your card will never be charged. We require a card upfront because it ensures we're working with carriers who are serious about compliance — and it means you don't have to remember to enter payment details later.

A DOT compliance review (also called a compliance audit or safety audit) involves an FMCSA investigator reviewing your records across all six compliance areas. They'll ask to see driver qualification files, drug testing records, vehicle inspection reports, insurance documents, HOS/ELD records, and your accident register. DOT Compliance Watch keeps all of these organized and current. While we can't guarantee you'll pass an audit — that depends on your actual operations — carriers who use our platform have every required document organized and accessible when the auditor arrives. That alone dramatically reduces audit stress and common findings.

No. If your drivers operate within 150 air miles of their normal work reporting location and return to the same location each day, they qualify for the short-haul exemption under 49 CFR §395.1(e)(1) and are not required to use an ELD. Our HOS & ELD module tracks exemptions and documents which drivers qualify, so you have a clear record if questioned during a roadside inspection.

Retention requirements vary by record type. Driver qualification files must be kept for 3 years after a driver leaves. Drug and alcohol test results must be kept for 1–5 years depending on the result (5 years for positives and refusals). Vehicle inspection records must be kept for 14 months. Accident register entries must be kept for 3 years. Our platform tracks retention deadlines automatically and flags records before they can be legally disposed of.

Yes. Our Drug & Alcohol module tracks Clearinghouse query requirements — including the annual limited query requirement for every driver, full queries for new hires, and return-to-duty queries. We track query dates, results, and upcoming renewal dates. Note that we help you manage and document your Clearinghouse compliance — you still log into the FMCSA Clearinghouse portal directly to run queries, as only registered employers can do that.

Federal FMCSA regulations apply uniformly across all states for interstate commerce — your compliance obligations are the same whether you're operating in Florida or California. Some states have additional intrastate requirements for carriers operating only within their borders, which may differ from federal rules. Our platform covers all federal FMCSA requirements. For state-specific intrastate rules, we recommend consulting your state DOT.

For the Basic Plan, most carriers are fully set up within 2–3 hours. You'll add your drivers, upload existing documents, enter vehicle information, and input your insurance details. The platform guides you through each module. For the Full Plan, your compliance specialist will schedule an onboarding call within one business day and handle the setup for you — typically completed within 3–5 business days depending on how many existing records you have.

Bring them over — the more existing records you upload, the more complete your compliance picture becomes from day one. For Basic Plan customers, you can upload PDFs, photos, and documents directly into each module. For Full Plan customers, just email your existing records to support@dotcompliancewatch.com and your specialist will organize them for you. We accept PDFs, Word documents, photos (JPG/PNG), and CSV files.

Email us at support@dotcompliancewatch.com or use the contact form on our Contact page. We respond within one business day — usually faster. We're happy to answer specific questions about your operation, walk you through which plan fits your situation, or just talk through what a DOT audit looks like so you know what you're preparing for.