FMCSA’s Performance and Registration Information Systems Management (PRISM) is a partnership with State commercial motor vehicle (CMV) registration offices and law enforcement that improves highway safety by identifying and immobilizing commercial motor carriers that are prohibited from operating due to a Federal Out-of-Service (OOS) order.
Throughout the PRISM process, FMCSA and State partners collaborate to make sure that all necessary staff and systems work together to keep OOS carriers and their associated vehicles off our roads. FMCSA makes sure State partners can access data on federal OOS orders stored in FMCSA IT systems. As of June 2023, there are over 5,000 CMVs associated with OOS carriers. The PRISM process alerts a State CMV registration office when a company is attempting to register a CMV, even though they have an OOS order. The State then denies, suspends, or revokes the vehicle registration. States report carriers attempting to violate their OOS order to FMCSA for further enforcement action.
As part of the PRISM process, there are three levels of participation. States are encouraged to Level Up, as each level increases a State’s safety impact.
- Full Participation: The State applies the PRISM process to CMVs with a gross vehicle weight (GVW) of 26,001+ pounds. This level is mandated by the Fixing America’s Surface Transportation (FAST) Act, and all States have achieved Full Participation.
- Enhanced Participation: The State targets “chameleon carriers” — those who are trying to register as a different company for the purpose of evading a federal OOS order.
- Expanded PRISM: The State applies PRISM requirements 1–6 to lower-weighted CMVs (GVW of 10,001–26,000 pounds), such as delivery trucks, which are becoming more prevalent in our neighborhoods.
The PRISM process efficiently enforces Federal OOS orders, keeping more OOS vehicles off the highways. State partners are key to PRISM’s success by ensuring commercial motor carriers that are unfit for operation, as indicated by a Federal OOS order, remain out of operation.
Visit https://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/PRISM to learn more.
