An inactive USDOT status means the registration is no longer active. That can be because the company requested it, because it failed to file its MCS-150 biennial update, or because FMCSA deactivated or revoked it.
A carrier with an inactive USDOT number should not be operating commercial vehicles in interstate commerce. If a "carrier" offering to haul your load shows as inactive, treat it as a hard stop, and check whether someone is using an old number they don't control.
Check a carrier now. Paste any USDOT or MC number into the free CarrierTell lookup, or add the Chrome extension to get a risk badge next to every number on load boards, in email and in carrier packets automatically.
Add CarrierTell to Chrome, free
Add CarrierTell to Chrome, free