10/27/2026
Motus Delays Are Becoming a Small Fleet Problem
Jesse Elison, deputy administrator of the FMCSA, says the troubled Motus registration system is still "weeks, not months" away from stabilization. At the same time, he acknowledged that legitimate carriers are still being blocked from making registration changes.
For large fleets, this is frustrating.
For small fleets, it can be devastating.
A 5-truck carrier waiting on an authority change, ownership update, reinstatement, or registration correction doesn't have a compliance department, legal team, or excess capacity to absorb delays. Every day a truck sits waiting on paperwork is a day revenue isn't being generated.
The carriers feeling the most pain are often:
Small and mid-sized fleets adding trucks.
New authorities trying to get established.
Family-owned carriers making ownership or business structure changes.
Fleets onboarding new contracts that require updated registration information.
Operators already fighting higher insurance costs, fuel volatility, and tight cash flow.
Elison admitted the system has succeeded at keeping some bad actors out, but also acknowledged that legitimate businesses continue getting caught in the process.
The real risk isn't paperwork.
The real risk is interrupted cash flow.
With rising operating costs and limited margins, many small fleets simply can't afford administrative delays that keep equipment from generating revenue.
Chattanooga–It hasn’t been that long–less than a month–since Jesse Elison spoke to an industry event and addressed the issue of the beleaguered new Motus registration system. The deputy administrator of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) spoke Monday at FreightWaves’ B...
