How to Start a Trucking Company in Illinois
What does it cost to start a trucking company in Illinois?
An Illinois trucking company files $150 LLC articles and a $75 annual report, gets a free USDOT number and $300 MC authority, and registers IRP and IFTA through the Secretary of State. Intrastate for-hire freight also requires Illinois Commerce Commission authority. Chicago's intermodal volume gives new Illinois authorities access to drayage work most markets do not have.
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.
Illinois entity and registration facts
- LLC formation fee
- $150 articles of organization
- Ongoing state cost
- $75 annual report
- IRP / IFTA office
- Illinois Secretary of State, Commercial and Farm Truck Division
- Intrastate authority
- Intrastate for-hire carriers need authority from the Illinois Commerce Commission, separate from the federal MC number.
What is different about launching in Illinois
ICC authority for intrastate freight
Illinois is one of the states that still requires its own intrastate operating authority through the Commerce Commission.
Chicago rail and drayage volume
Chicago is the largest intermodal hub in North America, which opens drayage work that does not exist in most markets — and comes with its own credentialing.
IRP through the Secretary of State
Unlike most states, Illinois runs apportioned registration through the Secretary of State rather than a DMV or revenue department.
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 Illinois authority.
90-day launch checklist →
Every step from LLC to first load.
ELD requirements in Illinois →
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.