Any commercial transportation company, broker or freight forwarder intending to operate across state lines is required to obtain truck operating authority from the former Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC), now given by the Department of Transportation. An ICC authority dictates the range of a commercial vehicle’s area/s of operation and the type of cargo it is allowed to transport. Basically, operating authority allows trucking firms and companies to carry goods and passengers across state borders as long as the vehicle functions within its area of operation.
Before a trucking firm operator can file for truck operating authority, he must have first obtained his USDOT number. Standing for United States Department of Transportation, the USDOT number serves as a commercial vehicle’s unique identifier. After securing a USDOT number, he can then file for an ICC authority, also known as an MC number. An MC number is also referred to as the ICC number.
There are some exemptions in several states as to what type of trucking operations need or do not need an ICC authority. Private carriers are exempted. So are ‘for-hire’ carriers that transport exempt commodities (cargo not regulated by the government) and carriers that operate exclusively within a federally designated "commercial zone" that is exempt from interstate authority rules.
Your Authority Service offers fast and easy registration for an ICC number, as well as other truck operating authority requirements needed to begin operations.