New Carrier 90-Day Launch Checklist

Decide interstate or intrastate, for-hire or private

This single answer decides which of the filings below apply to you. Getting it wrong means refiling.

Form the LLC in your operating state

$50–$500 depending on the state. Do this first — the EIN and every filing after it carries the legal entity name.

Get the EIN from the IRS

Free and instant online. Required for the USDOT registration and for opening a business bank account.

Open a business bank account

Factoring companies and brokers pay to a business account in the carrier's legal name. Personal accounts cause payment delays.

Apply for the USDOT number

Free through the FMCSA Unified Registration System. Usually issued the same session.

Apply for MC operating authority

$300, non-refundable. This starts the 21-day protest clock, so file it as early as possible.

File the BOC-3 through a process agent

$40–$50 one time. File it the same week — it is cheap, fast, and authority cannot activate without it.

Register with the FMCSA Clearinghouse

Required before you can run the pre-employment drug query on yourself or any driver.

Bind primary liability and cargo coverage

$8,000–$14,000 for a first-year owner-operator. The insurer must file proof electronically; a certificate alone does not activate authority.

Buy or finance the truck

Have the VIN before IRP. Apportioned registration is per-vehicle.

Register your ELD

An FMCSA-registered ELD is required from the first mile under authority. ELD Hub is $15 per truck per month with no contract, and registration takes about two minutes so it never becomes the thing holding up your first load.

Enroll in a drug and alcohol consortium

$50–$100 per driver per year, plus a verified negative pre-employment test before the first dispatch.

Apply for IRP apportioned plates

$1,200–$2,500 in year one through your base state, because year one uses an average per-mile chart.

Register for IFTA

Quarterly fuel-tax returns per jurisdiction. Most base states process IRP and IFTA together.

File UCR

About $46 a year in the 0–2 vehicle tier. Enforcement of each registration year starts January 1.

Check state-specific intrastate authority

Texas, California and Illinois each require their own intrastate registration on top of the federal MC number.

Set up carrier packets with brokers

W-9, COI, MC authority letter, notice of assignment if you factor, and your signed carrier agreement.

Line up factoring or a cash reserve

Brokers pay on 30-day terms. Without factoring you need roughly two months of operating cash before the first check lands.

Get a fuel card

Fuel is the largest variable cost in the operation, and discount networks pay for themselves inside the first month.

Set up your maintenance and DVIR routine

Daily driver vehicle inspection reports are required and are checked at roadside. They are part of your ELD account, not a separate paper book.

Prepare for the new-entrant safety audit

FMCSA audits new authorities within the first 12 months. Complete HOS records, DVIRs, drug program files and maintenance records are exactly what they ask for.