At J.D. Tanner and Associates we want to provide a partnership for you to help guide you through the steps of starting your own trucking company. Here you will find our “Road Map” to getting you started and on your way to your first for-hire haul.
The very first step is to obtain your Federal Employer Identification Number (FEIN).
You will need to determine if you will be a sole proprietor, llc or corporation. You may want to contact a lawyer and/or a certified public account to provide you particular pros and cons of operating as each. Below you will find a link to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) where you can apply for your FEIN.
Click here to fill out and get your FEIN
Click here to fill out the form to send in via the mail
This FEIN can be used immediately for most of your business needs, including: opening a bank account; applying for business licenses; filing a tax return by mail, and applying for your Operating Authority. Please note that it will take up to two weeks before your number will become part of the IRS’ permanent records.
Have J.D. Tanner and Associates apply for your Operating Authority.
This process will include the following steps: We will file for your Motor Carrier (MC) Number, file your BOC-3 Process Service, and US DOT Number within hours of your completing our online applications.
Next you will need to obtain your insurance quotes.
J.D. Tanner is a licensed insurance agent in 48 states and we can provide you trucking liability and cargo quotes within hours of you completing our online application.
Bind your insurance coverage.
Once J.D. Tanner obtains your MC Number we can bind your insurance coverage and have the appropriate federal fillings sent to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). It can take 10-15 business days to process your operating authority. Once it is done the FMCSA will mail your certificate of authority, this can take an additional 5 days.
Apply for State and federal Permits.
While your authority is being processed now is the time to apply for state and federal permits. This would include the Unified Carrier Registration Agreement (UCRA), International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA), International Registration Plan (IRP), and specific state permits for NM, NY, KY, OR. You may need all or only a few of these permits depending on the size of your vehicle and state you plan to travel through. It can take 3-4 weeks to process these permits by mail or you can visit your state office and complete in one day.
Organize your FMCSA information.
The FMCSA and US DOT will require you to maintain specific rules and regulations such as driver qualification, vehicle maintenance, safety, log books and drug testing. You will be required to pass a motor carrier authority safety audit 3-6 months after your motor carrier authority is processed. At J.D. Tanner and Associates we can assist you by providing a US DOT Number Compliance Kit.
Receive your certificate of Authority and Permits.
It can take 3-4 weeks for the above steps to be processed and complete all of your permit applications. Once you receive your permits you will want to organize them to be placed in your trucks and FMCSA regulation folders.
You are now ready to book and haul your own loads for-hire.