Deciding to get your own FMCSA operating authority and DOT number is a big step. Most use agents to help them get started. Unfortunately they cost a lot of money. I’m going to share with you all the different regulating agencies and how to contact them. By doing so, I’m giving you the ability to get set up with all of them so you can avoid paying an agent more than necessary. What better way to start your business than by saving money and learning compliancy requirements at the same time! Read more...

One of the most frequently asked questions I get is “So how does IFTA work anyway?” Once truck owners understand IFTA they all change their fuel purchasing ways. In doing so they lower their fuel cost and improve their profits. Read more...

When I first got my authority in 1999, like so many I thought that once I had authority I didn’t need to do anything outside of maintaining my insurance, single state permits (now replaced with the Unified Carrier Registration system), truck and trailer registrations, truck and trailer safety inspections, and etc. to be compliant with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration regulations. Like most everyone else, as time went along I began to discover just how shortsighted I was – there’s a lot more to it.

 

That brings me to a very important and all too often misunderstood and overlooked requirement. Read more...

Many who contact me through my website LearnToTruck.com or call for an insurance quote have never applied for or had a USDOT (United States Department of Transportation) or MC (Motor Carrier) number before. It is imperative for anyone who wishes to have a USDOT and/or a MC number to be fluent and understand all the different entities and compliance with those entities they will now be required to meet. Read more...

The latest FMCSA burden on truck owners is the new Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse. In an already over regulated industry this new requirement adds yet another hurdle to overcome to be compliant when operating your own FMCSA Operating Authority. All who have an FMCSA Operating Authority are required to participate in the FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse. The FMCSA even went out of their way to single out Independent Owner Operators such as myself. Read more...