What we file, and why it matters.
Every carrier running interstate freight is answerable to a stack of agencies that don't talk to each other. Each one has its own form, its own portal and its own deadline. This is the work we do so you don't have to.
Authority prep work
Before a truck runs interstate freight, several filings have to land in the right order. A USDOT number identifies the carrier. Operating authority permits you to haul for hire - motor carrier authority if you're hauling, broker authority if you're arranging freight for someone else. A BOC-3 names a process agent in every state you operate in, a legal requirement rather than a formality, and authority won't activate without it.
FMCSA registration now runs through Motus, and Motus runs through Login.gov. Your company official needs a verified Login.gov account before anyone can claim an existing USDOT record or apply for a new one, and the email has to match what FMCSA already has on file. We walk you through that setup. The account stays yours - FMCSA expects the company official to be someone inside your company.
We handle the sequence so nothing stalls waiting on a filing nobody knew was next.
Covers
- USDOT number
- Operating authority, motor carrier and broker
- BOC-3 process agents
- Motus and Login.gov account setup
- UCR registration
- MCS-150 biennial update
State registration and permits
Registration doesn't stop at your base state. IRP apportioned plates cover you across jurisdictions and are generally required above 26,000 lbs. The plate isn't the end of it - fleets change, and every truck added or removed, every corrected address or weight, is another filing.
We open the account, file the renewals, handle the corrections and review your mileage documents before they go in. The supporting records stay on file in case of an audit.
Covers
- IRP apportioned plates
- New accounts and renewals
- Registration corrections
- Adding and removing vehicles
- Mileage document review
- Temporary and trip permits
- Property tax filings
- Record retention for audit
IFTA
One return per quarter, filed with your base jurisdiction, covering miles driven and fuel purchased in every state and province you ran. It's due the last day of the month after the quarter closes, and it's required even for a quarter with no activity.
Fuel tax settles on where you burned the fuel, not where you bought it, so buying in the wrong states means paying more than you owe. We review your purchase history and show you where to fill up. We also itemize the numbers per power unit, because fleet-level totals hide which trucks are carrying the fees.
We file the return, order additional decals as the fleet grows, and keep the mileage and fuel records on file for audit.
Covers
- New account setup
- Quarterly returns
- Renewals and additional decals
- Fuel purchase assessment
- Per unit breakdown
- Record retention for audit
DOT compliance assistance
A carrier has to keep a set of files - driver qualification, drug and alcohol testing, vehicle maintenance, hours of service - and an auditor will ask for them by name. Most carriers find out what's missing only once someone is already looking.
We provide an online program for keeping those files. New entrants get a safety audit within their first year of operation. If that doesn't go well or a roadside inspection pushes your safety score the wrong way, there's a process for fixing it. We prepare the corrective action plans, file the safety score upgrade requests and run mock audits so the real one isn't the first time anyone has checked.
Covers
- Required DOT file program
- New Entrant Safety Audit
- Corrective action plans
- Safety score upgrade requests
- Mock audits
Additional services
Specialty permits and codes
A SCAC code is the four-letter carrier identifier, needed for intermodal work and by most large shippers. A federal Hazardous Materials Safety Permit applies only to specific categories and quantities, and most hazmat loads fall below the threshold. Alabama requires its own permit for hauling livestock. We sort out which of these apply to you and file them.
Weight distance state accounts and permits
Four states tax by weight and distance on top of registration - Kentucky's KYU, New Mexico, New York's HUT and Oregon. Each is a separate account on its own filing cycle, monthly or quarterly depending on the state. We open the accounts, file the returns and keep the records for audit.
Heavy Vehicle Use Tax (2290)
Form 2290 is the federal tax on vehicles at 55,000 lbs and above. It runs on its own year, due the month after a vehicle's first use, and the stamped Schedule 1 is what your base state wants before it will renew your plates. We file it and get you the Schedule 1.
Articles of Organization
Before there's a carrier there's a company. We prepare and file the Articles of Organization to form the business entity, so the authority filings that follow have something to attach to.