How to Start a Trucking Company in Florida
What does it cost to start a trucking company in Florida?
A Florida trucking company pays $125 to form the LLC and $138.75 for the annual report each May, gets a free USDOT number and $300 MC authority, and registers IRP and IFTA through FLHSMV. Florida has no state income tax and no separate intrastate authority for most for-hire freight, but insurance in coastal counties runs above the national average.
Last verified by ELD Hub.
Register now, activate the day your MC clears
FMCSA requires an ELD from your first mile under authority. Set it up while you wait — $15 per truck per month, no contract, cancel anytime.
4 quick steps — personal details, company info, billing, done. About 2 minutes.
Florida entity and registration facts
- LLC formation fee
- $125 to form the LLC
- Ongoing state cost
- $138.75 annual report, due by May 1
- IRP / IFTA office
- FLHSMV Bureau of Commercial Vehicle and Driver Services
- Intrastate authority
- Florida does not require a separate intrastate operating authority for most for-hire freight, but IRP, IFTA and insurance requirements still apply.
What is different about launching in Florida
The May 1 annual report deadline is strict
Miss it and Florida adds a $400 late fee that cannot be waived. Calendar it the day you form the LLC.
No state income tax
Florida has no personal state income tax, which is why a lot of owner-operators domicile here. Base state still has to be where you actually operate from.
Hurricane-season insurance
Physical damage premiums in coastal Florida run above the national average. Quote early and compare inland domicile options honestly.
The federal filings, in order
USDOT number →
Free, issued in minutes. The first filing every carrier makes.
MC operating authority →
$300, non-refundable. Roughly 4–6 weeks from filing to active.
BOC-3 filing →
About $40 one-time. Must be on file before authority activates.
UCR registration →
About $46/year for 0–2 trucks. Due before the calendar year starts.
IRP apportioned plates →
$1,200–$2,500 in year one, filed with your base state.
Drug & alcohol consortium →
$50–$100 per driver per year. Required before the first dispatch.
Keep going
Startup cost calculator →
Year-one budget for a Florida authority.
90-day launch checklist →
Every step from LLC to first load.
ELD requirements in Florida →
State rules, inspections and enforcement.
ELD for a new authority →
What FMCSA expects from day one under your MC.
Other states
Register now, activate the day your MC clears
FMCSA requires an ELD from your first mile under authority. Set it up while you wait — $15 per truck per month, no contract, cancel anytime.
4 quick steps — personal details, company info, billing, done. About 2 minutes.