Find a 2021-updated version of this guide via this link -- "Get your own authority: How to tackle the basics of filing, insurance, more. Show “Mustang” Mike Crawford used services of the Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association when he got his operating authority in the year following being selected as Overdrive’s 2010 Trucker of the Year. “I paid them $805, and they did everything for me,” Crawford says. That included enrolling him in their CMCI drug and alcohol testing consortium — such enrollment is a requirement for independents. Part 1 in this series looked at the advantages and disadvantages of running independent. Establish your business entity. Note: “If you are using your personal name” and/or a “doing business as” (DBA) name as a sole proprietor, says Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association representative Norita Taylor, “several states require that you register that also.” If you are going to be a LLC or a corporation, file your business with the Secretary of State in your state of residence/base operation. Costs will vary depending on your state’s filing fees. GETTING HELP | Many businesses specialize in helping owner-operators through the authority process – for a fee. A Web search of businesses in your area or a scan of the businesses advertising in Overdrive will yield more results. Owner-Operator Independent Drivers Association, ooida.com | In addition to handling the federal filings, OOIDA can serve as a new entrant’s BOC-3 process agent and handle state use-tax permits and most intrastate authority applications, UCR and Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax (2290) filings. OOIDA’s Norita Taylor estimates a cost of $800-$900 for getting a single-truck owner-operator set up with their “one-stop shop-type package.” This includes federal filing charges and enrollment in its CMCI drug and alcohol testing consortium, but not “insurance, plates, IFTA, intrastate authority or establishing a corporation or LLC.” OOIDA membership is $45 annually. TCRG Consulting, tcrgconsulting.com | TCRG’s Richard Wilson will handle an operator’s authority filings for $150 on top of the application fee ($300) and costs associated with BOC-3 process agents (about $100). TCRG also offers a package of compliance materials for $300 that covers required policies and associated in-office filing you’ll need to maintain in order to pass the New Entrant Audit you’ll get from FMCSA within your first 18 months of operation. Partners in Business | With the business consultants/tax specialists at ATBS, Overdrive produces the Partners in Business manual annually, with updates. It included multiple chapters on strategies toward profitable operation and one devoted exclusively to issues related to running with your own authority. You can purchase a copy of the manual ($19.95) via the eTrucker online store here. Get USDOT number. Get MC number. Get insurance. Owner-operators who’ve made the move toward their own authority report wildly varying quotes – from $8,000 to $16,000 annually. Regardless of your driving record, as a new business you’re viewed as risky, and you’ll pay accordingly. Operators have reported primary liability rates falling to between $5,000 and $6,000 as their businesses became established. Once insurance is secured, have the agent file the appropriate BMC-91 form with FMCSA as proof of insurance. OTHER POTENTIALLY NEEDED
FILINGS | Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax and International Registration Plan State fuel taxes State use taxes Follow the links to state pages above for the appropriate filing systems and/or forms. Designate process agent. Use FMCSA’s form BOC-3 to designate your process agent. Make certain the process agent is authorized to cover you in every state in which you operate. OOIDA functions as the process agent for many of its members, says Taylor. For operators Wilson assists, he recommends a process agent who charges a $125 startup fee and thereafter about $100 annually. FMCSA maintains a list of process agents, organized by the state where they’re based, on the Registration and Licensing portion of its website. Complete UCR. Do truck signage. If you want to include your name or any other name that differs from the exact business name, the words “operated by” must precede the legal name and identifying DOT number. FINAL INSTALLMENT IN THIS SERIES: “Do or die” compliance duties prior to the New Entrant Audit How do I get my own trucking authority in Georgia?How To Get A Trucking Authority. Register your trucking company.. Get an EIN.. Get your USDOT number.. Apply for your MC number.. File a BOC-3 & get an insurance policy.. Pay your HVUT.. Set up your International Registration Plan (IRP) and get your apportioned plates.. Create an International Fuel Tax Agreement (IFTA) account.. How do I get a trucking authority in Florida?What are the steps to getting my trucking authority?. Apply for your authority. Complete the OP-1 or OP-1(P) form, the BOC-3 form, and pay the application fee. ... . Secure your UCR permit. Use your USDOT and MC Number to apply for the Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) system. ... . Pay your HVUT.. How do I get a US DOT number?How do I get a USDOT number?. To get a USDOT number, new applicants must register online via the Unified Registration System. ... . Until URS is fully implemented, there is no charge for a USDOT number. ... . For more information about registering with the FMCSA, please see our "Getting Started with Registration" web page.. How do I get a DOT and MC number in Texas?To apply for operating authority in Texas go to www.txdmv.gov/elinc to sign up to register. Once your application has been received and reviewed you will receive an email with further instructions. Review takes 24-48 business hours.
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