Less known than their uniformed comrades in the California Highway Patrol, the 214 members of the Association of Motor Carrier Operation Specialists (AMCOS) are also on the front lines of transportation safety, fighting to make sure the buses and semis rolling along the state’s roads are as safe as can be and operated by qualified drivers.

AMCOS members certify all school bus drivers in California and inspect the condition of their vehicles. They make sure charter and tour buses are safely carrying their passengers to and from the state’s enumerable entertainment destinations.

AMCOS members inspect all semi trucks with terminals in the Golden State, and an elite group of them – the MAIT team -- perform CSI work on particularly bad auto, bus, and truck crashes (three or more fatalities), reconstructing accidents to find the root cause of the collision.

You can find AMCOS members under the carriages of buses and semis, in the middle of the grizzliest accidents sorting through the devastation, or fingerprinting school bus drivers as part of the 10 hours of classroom time the drivers must spend to get their licenses.

Every 13 months, AMCOS member will inspect a random sample of buses and every two years semis with terminals in California. The web site is dedicated to the highly important but little noticed work of these vital public servants.

More about the two divisions within AMCOS can be found by clicking on the MCS-1 and SPTSC buttons on this web site.

Brief History of AMCOS-member Motor Carrier Specialists

Motor Carrier Specialists (MCS-1s) became part of the California Highway Patrol in 1963 with 43 employees. Their primary function was to perform inspections of trucks.

In 1973,school busses were added to their assignments.

In 1974, farm labor buses.

In 1979, inspection and certification of hazardous waste vehicles and containers were included.

In 1980, Motor Carrier Specialists were charged with annual inspections of all bus terminals.

In 1983, annual inspections and certifications of youth busses were added.

In 1987, annual inspections and certification of GPPV were put in the bailiwick of AMCOS-member Motor Carrier Specialists.

In 1988, creation of the BIT program required the addition of 150 Motor Carrier Specialists.

In 1996, inspections of the drug and alcohol testing programs of commercial carriers were added to the responsibilities of MCS-1s.

In 1997, they were asked to assist in the enforcement of Motor Carrier Permits required of carriers.

That same year, updating carrier information for the Teal Data Center was added.

Last year, AMCOS-member Motor Carrier Specialists were asked to interpret lease contracts between prime and sub-contractors.