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Home / Guides

Missed a Call From 1-877-905-8016? It Is About Your New Entrant Safety Audit

Reviewed by Austin Park, founder of ICR Filings · Updated October 25, 2026

The short answer
  • FMCSA's contact page lists 1-877-905-8016 and newentrant@dot.gov for the New Entrant Safety Assurance Program.
  • New carriers are monitored for 18 months, and FMCSA conducts a safety audit within 12 months after you begin operations.
  • Call back. Ignoring the audit does not make it go away, and failing it can end in revocation of your USDOT registration.
  • Scammers imitate FMCSA. Dial the number yourself and never give your Login.gov password to a caller.

If you got your USDOT number or MC authority in the last year and a call or voicemail came from 1-877-905-8016, it is most likely about your new entrant safety audit. FMCSA's contact page lists that number, along with newentrant@dot.gov, for its New Entrant Safety Assurance Program.

Why new carriers get this call

Every new interstate carrier goes through the New Entrant program. FMCSA monitors you for the first 18 months and conducts a safety audit within 12 months after you begin operations. The audit is done by a federal safety investigator or a state enforcement officer, and FMCSA says it generally takes place at your principal place of business. Under 49 CFR 365.110, operating authority for carriers running commercial motor vehicles does not become permanent until you complete the program.

What fails the audit automatically

FMCSA lists violations that fail a new entrant automatically, including:

  • No drug and alcohol testing program, or no random testing program.
  • Using a driver who refused a required test, or who did not finish follow-up after a positive test.
  • Knowingly using a driver without a valid CDL, a disqualified driver, or a medically unqualified driver.
  • Operating without the required level of insurance.
  • Not requiring drivers to make hours-of-service records.
  • Operating a vehicle placed out of service before repairs, or one that was not periodically inspected.

If you fail, FMCSA requires a corrective action plan. Failing to fix the problems results in revocation of your USDOT registration.

What to do before you call back

  1. Have your USDOT number ready.
  2. Pull together driver qualification files, your drug and alcohol testing enrollment and results, hours-of-service records, proof of insurance, and inspection and maintenance records.
  3. If you do not have a drug and alcohol testing program yet, set one up now. See DOT drug testing for owner-operators.
  4. Go through our new entrant safety audit checklist.

Calling back safely

Scammers imitate FMCSA by phone, text, and email. Dial 1-877-905-8016 yourself rather than a number from a message, and never give your Login.gov password or one-time codes to a caller. See how to spot fake FMCSA contacts, and FMCSA's other phone lines.

Want to know what your record shows before the audit? A compliance check reviews your FMCSA record and lists what is missing.

New carriers also owe UCR every year. See 2027 UCR registration, and if your authority started this year, what to do about a missed 2026 UCR. For what an audit looks like, read DOT audits and compliance reviews.

Common questions

Who is calling from 1-877-905-8016?

FMCSA lists 1-877-905-8016 for its New Entrant Safety Assurance Program, the program that audits new interstate carriers. A call from it is usually about your new entrant safety audit.

Is 1-877-905-8016 a scam?

The number is listed on FMCSA's own contact page. Scammers do imitate FMCSA, though, so call the number back yourself instead of using a number from a text or voicemail, and never give your Login.gov password to a caller or pay a fee over the phone to keep your authority.

What happens if I ignore it?

FMCSA conducts the audit as part of the New Entrant program. A carrier that fails the audit and does not fix the problems faces revocation of its USDOT registration, so answer and get the audit scheduled.

What do they check?

Driver qualification, drug and alcohol testing, hours of service, insurance, and vehicle inspection and maintenance records. FMCSA lists violations that fail the audit automatically, such as having no drug and alcohol testing program.

Can I email instead of calling?

Yes. FMCSA lists newentrant@dot.gov for the same program, with business hours of 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern, Monday through Friday.

Official sources

This guide is general information, not legal advice. Rules and fees change, so confirm with the official source before you file.

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