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The new carrier checklist: your first 90 days

For new interstate for-hire carriers and owner-operators. Work down the list. Each legal requirement (steps 1–8 and 13) links to the official rule or agency page. Steps 9–12 are practical business tips, not legal requirements. Not every step applies to every carrier: check the "if" notes, since it depends on your vehicle, your license and where you run.

Last checked: October 14, 2026. This is general information, not legal advice. Your state, cargo and operation can add requirements. When in doubt, call the FMCSA contact center at 1-800-832-5660.

Before your authority goes active

1. Step 1USDOT number and operating authority (MC). Since May 2026, FMCSA registration runs through Motus, its new system. Use only motus.dot.gov; fake "Motus" sites have been reported. After your application is published in the FMCSA Register, there's a 10-day protest period (49 CFR 365.115). Your authority isn't active until your insurance and BOC-3 are on file too.
2. Step 2BOC-3 (process agents). You must name process agents for all 48 contiguous states and DC, unless your authority covers fewer states (49 CFR 366.4). Most new carriers pay a process-agent company to file the BOC-3 for them. Compare a few before you pay.
3. Step 3Insurance, filed with FMCSA. Proof of financial responsibility (usually a certificate of insurance filed by your insurer) must be filed with and accepted by FMCSA before your authority is granted (49 CFR 387.301; required amounts in 387.303). Get quotes early, and ask each agent whether they file it for you and how quickly.
4. Step 4Drug and alcohol program, if your drivers need a CDL. These rules apply to people who operate a commercial motor vehicle that requires a CDL (49 CFR 382.103). That includes you if you're an owner-operator who drives. If so: join a testing consortium, register in the FMCSA Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse, and complete pre-employment testing before driving. Driving a non-CDL vehicle (for example some box trucks or hotshot setups)? Check whether this part applies to you.
5. Step 5UCR (Unified Carrier Registration). An annual registration. Pay it only by typing ucr.gov into your browser yourself. FMCSA has said it doesn't ask for UCR payments through unsolicited emails or calls.
6. Step 6IRP plates and IFTA fuel tax license, if they apply. IFTA covers "qualified motor vehicles" that run in more than one member jurisdiction. That means a vehicle with two axles over 26,000 lbs, three or more axles at any weight, or a combination over 26,000 lbs (definition, as published by New York State). IRP apportioned plates have their own weight and axle test, so check with your state's IRP office. Both come from your home state (usually the DMV or revenue department), not FMCSA. Background: IFTA, Inc.
7. Step 7Heavy Vehicle Use Tax (Form 2290), if your truck is 55,000 lbs or more. irs.gov/form2290. Your stamped Schedule 1 is usually needed for plates.
8. Step 8ELD, unless an exception applies. Most drivers who must keep logs need an ELD. There are exceptions, including drivers who keep logs on no more than 8 days in any 30-day period, driveaway-towaway operations and trucks with pre-2000 engines (49 CFR 395.8). Short-haul drivers who qualify under 395.1(e) don't keep logs at all. If you need one, choose a device from FMCSA's registered ELD list and keep the ELD information packet in the cab (49 CFR 395.22(h)). The packet is:
   • an instruction sheet on transferring your logs to an officer;
   • an instruction sheet on malfunction reporting and recordkeeping;
   • blank paper log grids for at least 8 days.

Weeks 1–4: hauling and getting paid

9. Step 9 · tipKnow your cost per mile, then decide how you'll get paid, before your first load. Use the cost-per-mile calculator so you know which rates lose money. Brokers often pay in 30+ days. Your options are standard terms, broker quick pay or factoring, and each has a real cost. Compare them here.
10. Step 10 · tipSet up broker packets. Have these ready to send: W-9, certificate of insurance, authority letter and your payment details. New authorities are often rejected by brokers with minimum "authority age" rules, so ask before you chase a load.
11. Step 11 · tipBookkeeping from day one. Use a separate business bank account, keep every fuel receipt (you'll need them for IFTA), and track cost per mile weekly.
12. Step 12 · tipLock down your accounts. Your FMCSA login, PIN and email are what fraudsters want. Turn on 2FA for email, and never share your PIN. Scam alerts

Months 1–18: the New Entrant Safety Audit

For your first 18 months, FMCSA treats you as a "new entrant" and watches your roadside inspections closely. It will run a safety audit once you've been operating long enough to have records, generally at least 3 months in (49 CFR 385.307).

13. Step 13Get audit-ready from the start. Keep these in order:
    • a driver qualification file for every driver, including yourself;
    • drug and alcohol testing records, including your random-testing program;
    • hours-of-service/ELD records and supporting documents;
    • inspection, repair and maintenance records, plus annual inspections;
    • proof of insurance;
    • an accident register.
    The official rules: 49 CFR Part 385, Subpart D (New Entrant Safety Assurance Program).
14. OngoingCheck your public record. Look up your own USDOT number on SAFER to confirm your authority, insurance and BOC-3 show correctly.

The 16 violations that fail the audit automatically

Under 49 CFR 385.321, any one of these fails your audit, and a failed audit starts the process of revoking your new entrant registration. In plain English:

Summarised from 49 CFR 385.321(b), checked against the eCFR on October 14, 2026. The official table is the authority; read it for the exact wording.