Starting a trucking company comes with a stack of registrations: USDOT number, operating authority, BOC-3, insurance and UCR. Here is the order to do them in, what each one needs, and help filing them if you want it.
Follow the eight steps in order, from setting up your company to your first load.
Open the guide →
See what operating authority, BOC-3 and UCR involve and what they cost.
See the filings →
Send your USDOT or MC number for a free record review and a clear next step.
Request a review →Do these in order. Most delays happen when a detail on one filing doesn't match another, so settle your business details first.
Form your LLC or corporation (or decide to run as a sole proprietor) and get an Employer Identification Number from the IRS. Your legal name, EIN and principal business address must match on every filing that follows.
Have ready: legal business name, EIN, physical business address, officer names.
Interstate or intrastate? For-hire, private or exempt cargo? Property or passengers? Hazmat? These answers decide which registrations you need, so get them right before you file anything.
Have ready: cargo types, where you will haul, whether you haul for others for pay.
Complete the FMCSA registration with your company details, vehicle counts and operation type. Many carriers receive their USDOT number the same day the registration is completed. There is no government fee for the USDOT number itself.
Have ready: number of power units and drivers, company officer, contact details, and a government photo ID for FMCSA's identity verification.
If you haul regulated cargo for hire across state lines, you also need interstate operating authority. The application carries a government fee, gets published for a public protest period, and is only granted once insurance and a process agent are on file.
Have ready: authority type (carrier, broker or freight forwarder) and payment for the government fee.
A BOC-3 names a process agent in each state where you operate, so legal papers can be served on your company. It is filed by a process-agent company, often within the same business day.
Have ready: your USDOT number and the authority application on record.
Your insurer files proof of liability coverage directly with FMCSA. Authority will not be granted until that filing is accepted, so start getting quotes as soon as you apply.
Have ready: your USDOT number for the insurance agent.
Most interstate carriers, brokers and freight forwarders must register and pay the annual Unified Carrier Registration fee, which is based on fleet size. It renews every year.
Have ready: your USDOT number and current power-unit count.
Update your MCS-150 at least every two years and whenever your details change, renew UCR each year, and keep insurance continuous. Missing these is the most common reason a new number goes inactive.
Have ready: a calendar reminder for your biennial update month.
Tell us about your operation once. We prepare the filings, check them against your business documents, submit them, and keep you posted until each one is on record.
Your company's identifier with FMCSA, needed for interstate commercial vehicles and in many states for intrastate work too.
Government fee: none for the USDOT number.
Required for for-hire interstate carriers of regulated cargo, and for brokers and freight forwarders.
Government application fee applies, paid separately.
Names an agent in every state where you operate to accept legal papers. Must be on file before authority is granted.
No government fee; process-agent charge applies.
The annual Unified Carrier Registration for most interstate carriers, brokers and freight forwarders.
Annual government fee based on fleet size.
USDOT, authority, BOC-3 and UCR in one pass, so the details match and nothing waits on something else.
The agencies set these timelines; these are typical ranges, not promises.
Many registrations receive a number the same day they are completed.
Process-agent filings are often posted within the business day.
Includes agency review, the public protest period, and accepted insurance and BOC-3 filings.
Times vary with agency workload, insurance filings and whether the information submitted is complete and consistent.
No mystery and no pressure. Here is exactly what happens after you reach out.
We confirm your operation type and which registrations you actually need, so you don't pay for anything you don't.
Your legal name, EIN, address and officer details are compared against your formation documents to catch mismatches early.
You review a summary first. Government fees are shown separately from our service fee, with no surprises.
We track each filing until it shows on your record and tell you what to keep up with afterward.
Prefer to do it yourself? You can. Registration is open to everyone directly through FMCSA, and you pay only the government fees. This guide is here either way.
New carrier, or already have a number that's gone inactive or had its authority revoked? Tell us where you are and we'll reply with the next steps.
Status changes often come with no warning. A missed biennial update or insurance lapse can deactivate a number, and fixing it later usually takes longer than staying current.
Registering for a USDOT number has no government fee. Operating authority carries a government application fee, UCR has an annual fee based on fleet size, and BOC-3 process agents charge for their service. If you use a private filing service like ours, our service fee is added on top of any government fees.
Yes. You can register directly with FMCSA at no government cost for the USDOT number. Many owners choose to file on their own. Others use a filing service so the details are checked and the follow-up steps are handled for them. Both paths are valid.
Many carriers receive a USDOT number the same day the registration is completed. Operating authority takes longer, often three to five weeks, because of agency review, a public protest period, and waiting for insurance and BOC-3 filings to be accepted.
Only if you need interstate operating authority, which generally applies to for-hire carriers hauling regulated property or passengers across state lines, and to brokers and freight forwarders. Private carriers hauling their own goods usually need a USDOT number but not operating authority.
A BOC-3 designates a process agent in each state who can accept legal documents on your behalf. It is filed by a process-agent company, not by the carrier, and it must be on file before operating authority is granted.
Usually yes, if you operate in interstate commerce. UCR applies to most interstate carriers, brokers and freight forwarders regardless of size; the fee tier depends on how many power units you run.
An inactive status usually traces to a missed biennial MCS-150 update, lapsed insurance or an unresolved filing. Send us your USDOT or MC number in the record-review form and we will tell you what appears to be outstanding and what it takes to fix it.
No. We are a private filing-assistance service and are not affiliated with or endorsed by FMCSA, USDOT or any government agency. Government fees are set by the agencies and are separate from our service fee.