Getting your own authority
Running under your own authority means registering with FMCSA and keeping a list of filings current. FMCSA moved registration to a new online system called Motus in 2026, which requires identity verification through Login.gov.
To get started
- Business setup: form your company and get a federal tax ID.
- USDOT number and operating authority: applied for through FMCSA. For-hire interstate carriers need both. Authority is still identified by an MC number.
- BOC-3: names a process agent in each state. A filing service does this for a small fee.
- Insurance filing: your insurer files proof of coverage with FMCSA before authority becomes active.
- UCR: the Unified Carrier Registration, paid yearly.
To run legally
- IRP: apportioned plates for running in more than one state.
- IFTA: a fuel tax license, with a return filed every quarter based on miles by state.
- Heavy vehicle use tax: IRS Form 2290, filed yearly for trucks of 55,000 pounds or more.
- Drug and alcohol program: even a one-truck owner must join a random testing consortium and register in the Clearinghouse.
- ELD: an electronic logging device for hours of service.
- New entrant safety audit: FMCSA reviews your records within about the first year. Keep them organized from day one.
Allow several weeks from application to active authority. Many brokers will not load a brand-new authority for the first few months, so plan your cash for a slow start.