DOT Compliance Software for Small Trucking Fleets
Keep your driver qualification files complete without hiring a full-time compliance manager. DQF management, previous-employer verification, expiry reminders, medical card tracking, and audit-ready exports — pay only for what you actually use.
- DQ files for every driver under 49 CFR §391
- Annual MVR due-date reminders — upload each year's MVR to the driver's file
- E-signed Clearinghouse consent; upload query results to the DQF
- Medical card expiration tracking and renewal reminders
- E-signed drug & alcohol policy, with every test result stored in the DQF
- DOT audit export: a ZIP of any driver's file, or a fleet audit page that links every file
Why most small fleets fail their first FMCSA audit
The FMCSA conducts roughly 10,000-15,000 carrier audits per year. The pass rate for first-time-audited small fleets (under 50 trucks) hovers near 50-60%. The most common failure points are predictable: incomplete DQ files, missed MVR pulls, expired medical cards, missing Clearinghouse queries, and undocumented §391.23 efforts.
None of these are hard. They're just easy to forget when the same person handles dispatch, recruiting, billing, and compliance. The fix is software that does the remembering for you — without the price tag and bureaucracy of legacy enterprise compliance vendors.
What Oculus covers
Driver qualification compliance in one platform
- Driver Qualification Files (49 CFR §391) — see the DQF software page
- Driver Onboarding & Hiring (§391.21-§391.23) — see the onboarding page
- MVR records (§391.25) — upload the hire and annual MVRs to each driver's file
- Drug & Alcohol (49 CFR Part 382) — e-signed testing policy, plus upload slots for pre-employment, random, post-accident, and other test results
- FMCSA Clearinghouse (Part 382 Subpart G) — e-signed driver consent; you run queries in FMCSA's portal and upload the results
- Medical Examiner Certificate tracking (§391.43) with renewal reminders
Why pay-as-you-go works for small fleets
Legacy compliance vendors price for enterprise fleets. Foley, JJ Keller, and FleetDrive 360 typically quote $2,000-$10,000+ per year for small fleets, with per-seat fees that grow as you hire dispatchers and managers. That math is brutal for a 12-truck operation running on $90K-$150K of monthly revenue.
Oculus charges $1 per credit, with credits priced to the actual cost of what you do — a DQF setup, a driver dossier, an audit export. No per-seat fees. No annual minimums.
See full numbers on the carrier pricing page and the comparison in our best DOT compliance software for small fleets writeup.
What audit readiness actually looks like
When an FMCSA Safety Investigator schedules a Compliance Review, you typically get 24-72 hours of notice. The investigator will ask for randomly-selected driver files, MVR pull history, drug testing records, Clearinghouse queries, vehicle maintenance records, and HOS logs.
With Oculus, you download a ZIP of any driver's file, or open the fleet audit page for a list of signed links to every active driver's file. Running that export once a quarter shows you the gaps before an investigator does.
Frequently asked questions
What size fleet is Oculus built for?
Fleets with 5-150 power units. Under 5 trucks, you can run compliance from a spreadsheet (we'd recommend it). Over 150 trucks, you may need the integrations and per-seat workflows of enterprise platforms — though many 200+ truck fleets still use Oculus because the cost math doesn't break.
Will Oculus help me pass an FMCSA Compliance Review?
It helps with the driver-file part: every document the FMCSA requires for each driver sits in one file, with its dates. Run the DOT audit export once a quarter to find missing documents before the auditor does.
Do you handle drug & alcohol testing programs, including random pool management?
No. Oculus doesn't run random selection, schedule collections, or order tests — keep your C/TPA for that. Drivers e-sign your drug & alcohol policy in the application, and you can store every test result in their DQF.
Do you offer continuous MVR monitoring?
No. Oculus doesn't subscribe to state DMV alerts or pull MVRs today. Upload each driver's hire and annual MVR to their file, and you'll get an email before a document on file expires.
Do you submit drug test data to the Clearinghouse for me?
No. As an employer, you're required to report Clearinghouse violations within 3 business days, and that reporting happens in FMCSA's Clearinghouse portal. Oculus keeps the driver's signed Clearinghouse consent and any results you upload in their DQF.
How do you compare to Foley, FleetDrive 360, and Tenstreet?
Foley and JJ Keller are services + software bundled with phone-based account managers — great if you want managed compliance, expensive otherwise. FleetDrive 360 is solid software priced for larger fleets. Tenstreet's focus is recruiting and applications, less so the full compliance stack. Oculus is self-serve software priced for fleets that want to do it themselves — but with the option to call in for help.
Is there a setup fee or annual contract?
No setup fee. No annual contract. No per-seat pricing. Buy credits as you use them; cancel any time.
Ready to see it in your fleet?
Walk through the platform with someone who has actually run a 15-truck carrier and built the DQF, onboarding, and dossier flows you are about to use.