Starting outPlaybook · 4 min read
How to set up your trucking company
Nine filings in the order they must happen, what each one costs, what every broker asks for, and the one thing people get wrong: buying the truck before the insurance quote.
By Aditya EnterprisesUpdated September 13, 2026General operational guidance, not legal advice
Interstate authority is a fixed sequence, and doing it out of order costs you weeks. Budget four to six weeks from filing to an active MC number. Most of that is the mandatory protest period, which nothing shortens.
The order it has to happen in
- 01Form the LLC or corporation in your state, then get an EIN from the IRS. Same day, free.
- 02Apply through the FMCSA Unified Registration System for your USDOT number and MC operating authority.
- 03File a BOC-3 blanket process agent. A process agent service files it for you. You cannot file it yourself.
- 04Have your insurer file proof of liability, Form BMC-91X. General freight interstate needs $750,000 minimum. Brokers will want $1M.
- 05Get cargo coverage. FMCSA no longer requires it for most freight. Brokers do, and $100,000 is the usual floor.
- 06Register for UCR, get your IFTA license and decals from your base state, and IRP apportioned plates.
- 07File IRS Form 2290 for Heavy Vehicle Use Tax and keep the stamped Schedule 1. You cannot plate the truck without it.
- 08Join a drug and alcohol consortium and register in the FMCSA Clearinghouse before anyone drives.
- 09Wait out the 21-day protest period. Authority goes active after that, not before.
What every broker will ask you for
- MC and USDOT certificate, and a signed W-9
- Certificate of insurance naming them as certificate holder
- Notice of assignment if you are factoring
- Signed broker-carrier agreement and voided check
The thing people get wrong
They buy the truck first. Insurance for a brand-new authority with no safety history is the single biggest number in your first year, and it is quoted before you know it. Get a real quote in writing before you commit to equipment.
