Getting a truck is the easy part. What determines whether a new carrier can actually operate legally is a set of registrations, and they have to be in place before you haul.
The core registrations
- 01**USDOT number.** Required for most commercial motor carriers.
- 02**Operating authority**, if you haul for hire across state lines. This is separate from the USDOT number and people conflate them.
- 03**Insurance filings**, which must be on file before authority becomes active.
- 04**BOC-3 process agent filing**, for interstate authority.
- 05**UCR registration**, renewed annually.
- 06**IFTA licence and decals**, if you qualify.
- 07**Texas registration and apportioned plates**, as applicable.
The records side
- Driver qualification files.
- Hours of service records.
- Vehicle maintenance and inspection records.
- Drug and alcohol testing programme enrolment.
- Accident register.
- IFTA mileage and fuel records from day one.
New entrants are subject to a safety audit within a defined period of beginning operations. The audit looks at exactly the records above. Starting them on day one is far easier than assembling them under a deadline.
Then keep it current
Registrations lapse. UCR is annual, IFTA is quarterly, and the MCS-150 update is on its own schedule — our notes on each cover the detail.
We set carriers up
DOT compliance is one of our six services, in English and Spanish. Call (432) 257-7547 or come by 700 C Andrews Hwy in Midland. We work in English and Spanish.
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