Starting a Trucking Company: FAQs

Yes, if you operate in interstate commerce u2014 carrying freight or passengers across state lines. A USDOT number identifies your company to FMCSA and costs nothing to get, through FMCSA's Unified Registration System. Many intrastate carriers need one too, depending on the vehicle's weight and whether it carries hazardous materials. Once issued, the number itself never expires, but you must keep it updated.

A USDOT number identifies any interstate carrier, full stop. An MC number is operating authority u2014 a separate permission you only need if you're hauling regulated freight for other companies, for hire, across state lines. A private carrier moving only its own goods may need a USDOT number but no MC number at all.

At least 10 days for the required protest period after you apply, and often longer in practice. Authority only goes active once two more things are on file with FMCSA: your insurance company's proof of coverage and your BOC-3 process agent filing. Delays in either one will push back your start date, so file both as soon as you apply.

Your insurance company files it for you, using forms BMC-91 or BMC-91X, directly with FMCSA u2014 you never file this yourself. You still choose the policy, the coverage limits and the insurer; your agent and insurer simply handle getting the paperwork on file once the policy is active.

A BOC-3 names a process agent in every state you operate in, so legal paperwork u2014 like a lawsuit notice u2014 always has somewhere official to go. It's almost always filed by a process agent service for a small fee, not by you directly, and your operating authority will not activate without it on file.

UCR, the Unified Carrier Registration, is a separate annual registration most interstate carriers need, priced by how many vehicles you run. Registration for the coming year opens every October 1 and is due by December 31. It renews every year for as long as you operate u2014 register directly at ucr.gov.

If you'll run in more than one state, you likely need apportioned plates through the International Registration Plan (IRP), filed through your base state. IRP splits your vehicle registration fees fairly across every state you actually drive in, instead of paying full registration separately in each one.

The International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) covers fuel tax reporting across member states and provinces for qualifying vehicles. Instead of tracking fuel tax separately in every state, IFTA lets you file one quarterly return through your base state. Returns are due four times a year: April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31.

Every two years, without exception, even if nothing about your company has changed. The exact month it's due is based on the last digit of your own USDOT number, and whether that digit is odd or even decides which of the two years in the cycle applies to you.

No. TruckerOutpost.com is not an insurance agency and cannot quote prices, rates or coverage for you. Insurance cost depends on your driving record, the cargo you haul, your home state and the coverage limits you choose u2014 only a licensed agent can give you a real number for your specific situation.

The federal minimum is $750,000 in public liability coverage for most carriers hauling general freight. Carriers moving hazardous materials or passengers face higher federal minimums. These are floors, not recommendations u2014 many carriers and brokers require higher limits in practice, so check your specific requirement with a licensed agent.

TruckerOutpost.com's free check uses your USDOT number to pull your filing deadlines and a Road Ready score straight from public FMCSA records, at no cost and with no account required. Create a free Command Center account afterward if you want ongoing reminders before each date instead of checking manually.