The Department of Transportation recently published a final rule updating the civil penalty amounts that may be imposed for violations of certain DOT regulations, including Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations focused on in trucking company audits.
DOT is required by law to adjust fine amounts each year based on inflation.
A final rule that was published in the Federal Register Monday, March 21, made the new fine amounts effective immediately. The law requires the FMCSA and other DOT agencies to issue an initial “catch-up” adjustment, followed by annual adjustments for inflation.
The DOT, to find the 2022 adjustment amount, had to multiply the previous penalty amount by the percentage change between the October 2021 Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) and the October 2020 CPI-U, which for that period was 1.06222. Given this multiplier, all of the fine amounts increased.
