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Authority and operations

Getting your operating authority, staying compliant, and keeping track of what a truck costs to run. These guides lean on FMCSA, DOT, and state sources, and say plainly when a rule depends on where and what you haul.

  • GuideAuthority and operations · Compliance

    What happens in the FMCSA new entrant safety audit?

    When the new entrant safety audit happens, what the auditor reviews, the 16 violations that fail it automatically, and what follows a pass or a fail.

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  • GuideAuthority and operations · Getting authority

    How long does it take for new trucking authority to become active?

    FMCSA says new authority filings can take 20 to 25 business days, longer with review. What sets the pace, and how to check your status.

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  • GuideAuthority and operations · Running the operation

    How do I work out my cost per mile?

    Add your fixed and per-mile costs, divide by every mile you drive, and you have your break-even rate. A worked example, labeled, and what it leaves out.

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  • GuideAuthority and operations · Getting authority

    How do I get my own trucking authority?

    The steps to get a USDOT number and MC operating authority: what FMCSA charges, which filings must be on record, and how long it takes.

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  • GuideAuthority and operations · Compliance

    What compliance does a trucking company have to keep up with?

    What a trucking company keeps up: FMCSA registration, insurance filings, UCR, IFTA, IRP, Form 2290, drug testing, and the new entrant audit.

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