New Authority Checklist.
MC# to first load, in order.

$1M auto liability + $100k cargo is what most brokers require (FMCSA minimum is $750k). New-venture rates swing thousands between carriers — shop it.

Register as employer AND driver, then run your own pre-employment query. Brokers and the new-entrant audit both check this.

Owner-operators must be in a DOT random pool. The negative pre-employment result goes in your DQ file before you drive under authority.

Application, CDL copy, medical card, MVR, road-test certificate, 3-yr employment history. The new-entrant audit lives and dies on this folder.

You need the stamped Schedule 1 to get IRP plates. E-file it — the stamp comes back in minutes.

Required from day one of interstate hauling. Order now so it's installed before your first load — check the FMCSA registered list, not just ads.

Brokers pay net 30–45. Fuel, insurance and the truck note don't wait. Have the float or line up a factoring company now.

Title or lease, bill of sale, VIN, and a current 396.17 annual inspection sticker. Plates can't be issued without clean truck docs.

Required before FMCSA will activate authority. Any process-agent company does it online in minutes.

Your agent files liability (BMC-91/91X) and cargo (BMC-34) electronically with FMCSA. Confirm it shows on your record within 48 hrs.

Unified Carrier Registration is annual and enforced at roadside. 0–2 trucks is the cheapest bracket.

Your state's IRP office. Bring the stamped 2290, title/lease, proof of business address and insurance.

Same office in most states. Two decals per truck, quarterly fuel-tax returns from then on.

See exactly what a broker sees when they vet you — legal name, status, insurance on file. Catch a typo before a broker does.

The week your MC posts, scammers blast new authorities with fake invoices. FMCSA never calls you or mails a bill like that.

Check FMCSA L&I every few days. 'Pending' → 'Active' is your green light — you can't legally haul for-hire before that.

NY HUT, Kentucky KYU, New Mexico weight-distance, Oregon permit. Only needed if you cross those states — but fines are steep if you skip them.

W-9, COI, authority letter, references, banking or factoring NOA. Brokers ask for it before every first load — keep it one click away.

Load boards verify authority — apply once it shows ACTIVE, under your own company. Most brokers filter authorities under 90 days, so lean on direct relationships early.

Your own company credentials plug straight in — verified freight, broker flags and rate checks in one screen.

Happens within your first 12 months. DQ file, HOS logs, maintenance records, drug-testing records and insurance — all organized and current.

Due Apr 30 / Jul 31 / Oct 31 / Jan 31. Miss one and your license gets revoked. FreightPilot tracks state miles for you.

Invoice the day you deliver, with BOL attached. Reminders at 30/45/60 days keep the cash coming.

BrokerCheck for FMCSA status, Broker Directory for payment reputation. Two minutes now beats 90 days chasing a check.

Every two years, based on your USDOT number. Skipping it deactivates your number — set the reminder now.