• Each carrier must prepare and keep documents covering each trip which the equipment is used in its service.
• Either a physical copy of the lease or a statement created by the carrier must be in the vehicle.
• All commercial motor vehicles operated by a carrier must be legally marked with the company name as listed on the MCS-150 and the USDOT number.

The carrier must prepare and keep documents covering each trip for which the equipment is used in its service.

These documents need to contain:

• The name and address of the owner of the equipment,
• The point of origin,
• The time and date of departure, and
• The point of final destination.

The authorized carrier needs to carry documents with the leased equipment during the operation containing this information above a and clearly indicating that the transportation is under its responsibility.

These documents must be preserved by the authorized carrier as part of its transportation records. A lease that contains the above required information can be retained instead of the documents.

When using a master lease, the requirements are met by having a copy of a master lease in the unit and the balance of documentation included in the freight documents prepared for the specific movements.

Does a copy of the lease have to be in the vehicle?

Either a physical copy of the lease or a statement created by the carrier containing the following information needs to be carried in the vehicle:

• Equipment is being operated by the carrier,
• Owner of the equipment’s name,
• Date and length of the lease,
• Any commodity restrictions, and
• Address where the original lease is retained by the carrier.

How is a leased vehicle to be marked?

All commercial motor vehicles operated by a carrier must be legally marked with the company name as listed on the MCS-150 and the USDOT number. This must be done before the vehicle is put into service and operated on public roads. All rented and leased vehicles operated by the company are required to comply with the DOT marking rule.

A vehicle is rented for a short period of time, 30 days or less, may be marked with the rental company’s name and U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) number. To qualify for the exception:

• The vehicle is rented for 30 days or less;
• The vehicle is properly marked with the rental company’s legal name and USDOT number;
• The rental agreement entered into by the lessor and the renting motor carrier conspicuously contains the following information:
  • The name and complete physical address of the principal place of business of the renting motor carrier, and
  • The identification number issued the renting motor carrier by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA), preceded by the letters “USDOT,” and
  • The sentence: “This lessor cooperates with all Federal, State, and local law enforcement officials nationwide to provide the identity of customers who operate this rental CMV;” and
  • The rental agreement entered into by the lessor and the renting motor carrier is carried on the rental CMV during the full term of the rental agreement.