Here's how to start a trucking company with a semi truck, in the order that gets your truck on the road without getting stuck. Your authority won't go active until your insurance and BOC-3 are on file, and most states won't give you plates until your Form 2290 is stamped. Do things out of order and you end up waiting for weeks, or paying insurance on a truck you can't haul with yet.
This guide covers every step to start a semi truck business, from day one to passing your new entrant safety audit. Or skip the paperwork, and let our Semi-Truck Start-Up Package get it all done for you.
To start a trucking company with a semi, get your Class A CDL, an LLC, and an EIN first. Then get your USDOT number and MC authority, get insurance and a BOC-3 on file so your authority goes active, and register for UCR. File Form 2290 before you apply for IRP plates, then set up IFTA, drug testing, the Clearinghouse, and a driver file on yourself.
Want it done for you? We make it easy.
Our DOT compliance experts get every filing in this guide done for you, in the right order, for $1,659. That includes:
- Your USDOT number, MC authority, and BOC-3, with the $300 FMCSA fee included
- UCR, your first-year Form 2290, and your IRP and IFTA accounts
- 12 months of drug and alcohol testing, your Clearinghouse account, and first-year queries
- A driver qualification file built for your new entrant safety audit
You work with a dedicated TIPS agent from day one, and you can call, text, or email us anytime. Forever.
The order at a glance
Here's the full sequence. Each step below has more detail.
| Step | What you need | Why it goes here |
|---|---|---|
| Before you start | Class A CDL, LLC, EIN, insurance quotes | You need the LLC and EIN to file for your authority |
| 1 | USDOT number and MC authority | Starts the 21-day waiting period |
| 2 | Insurance on file | Your authority can't go active without it |
| 3 | BOC-3 | Also required before your authority goes active |
| 4 | UCR | Needed before you run across state lines |
| 5 | Form 2290 | Most states want the stamped Schedule 1 before plates |
| 6 | IRP plates and cab card | Your truck can't run interstate without them |
| 7 | IFTA license and decals | Needed for your first trip across state lines |
| 8 | Drug testing and Clearinghouse | You need a negative pre-employment test before you drive |
| 9 | Driver qualification file | Required on every driver, including you |
Before you start: CDL, LLC, and EIN
Get your Class A CDL. You need a Class A CDL to drive a tractor-trailer when the combination weighs over 26,000 lbs and the trailer is over 10,000 lbs. That covers just about every semi. If this is your first Class A, you have to finish entry-level driver training with a school on the FMCSA's Training Provider Registry before you can test. You also need a DOT medical card, which is good for up to two years.
Set up an LLC. An LLC makes your trucking company its own legal business, so your house and savings stay separate from it. You file it with your state, and the fee runs from about $35 to $500 depending on where you live. We can set up your LLC for you.
Get your EIN. An EIN is a tax ID number for your business. It's free from the IRS, and you need it to open a business bank account, file your 2290, and register your truck. The FMCSA also asks for your EIN confirmation letter when you file for your authority. If you've had an EIN before, that letter can take a few weeks to come back from the IRS, so start early. We can get your EIN set up along with your LLC.
Get insurance quotes before you file anything. Insurance is the biggest early cost for a new semi company, and the first year runs about $15,000 to $25,000. A lot of people file first and then find out they can't afford the policy. Get quotes first, so you know the plan works before you spend a dime on filings.
Step 1: Get your USDOT number and MC authority
Your USDOT number identifies your company with the FMCSA. Your MC number is your operating authority, and it's what lets you haul other people's freight for pay across state lines. You need both to run a for-hire semi.
Both are filed in Motus now, the FMCSA's new registration system. The USDOT number is free. The MC application fee is $300. Motus checks your paperwork, so have these ready before you file:
- Your articles of organization or incorporation.
- Your EIN confirmation letter from the IRS. The business name has to match your articles.
- A valid US driver's license or state ID for the identity check.
- A real business address, called your principal place of business. It can't be a virtual office or a registered agent's address.
Most new applications go into manual review at the FMCSA, which can take a few days up to a few weeks. Once your USDOT number is issued, your MC authority generates the next business day. Then a 21-day waiting period starts before your authority can go from "pending" to "authorized."
Even after those 21 days, you can't haul a single load until your insurance and BOC-3 are on file. Those are the next two steps.
Step 2: Get your insurance on file
The federal minimum for a carrier hauling general freight is $750,000 in liability. Most brokers ask for $1,000,000 in liability plus cargo coverage, usually $100,000, before they'll give you a load. That's what brokers require. It isn't a federal rule. If you insure for less, a lot of freight is closed to you.
Your insurance company files proof of your coverage with the FMCSA for you. Start your policy close to the end of your 21-day waiting period, so you're not paying premiums for weeks before you can haul. We can point you to our insurance partners for quotes.
Step 3: File your BOC-3
A BOC-3 names a process agent in every state. That's someone who can accept legal papers for your company in any state you run through. Your authority can't go active without it.
Only process agent companies registered with the FMCSA can file a BOC-3. We're one of them, so we can get your BOC-3 filed the same day.
Step 4: Register for UCR every year
UCR stands for Unified Carrier Registration. It's a yearly fee for carriers that run across state lines, based on how many trucks you have. For 2027, the fee for 0 to 2 trucks is $55. You file it every year, and running without it can get you fined for more than the filing costs. We take care of your UCR filing.
Step 5: File Form 2290 before your plates
Form 2290 is the federal heavy vehicle use tax. You owe it on any truck with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 lbs or more, which covers a loaded semi. The tax runs from $100 to a maximum of $550 a year per truck.
Here's the part a lot of guides skip. When the IRS accepts your 2290, you get back a stamped Schedule 1. Most states want that stamped Schedule 1 before they'll issue your IRP plates. File your 2290 first, or you'll be stuck waiting on your plates. Our Form 2290 guide has the full rates, and we can handle your 2290 filing.
Step 6: Get IRP apportioned plates and a cab card
This is where a semi differs the most from a box truck. If your truck runs across state lines and weighs over 26,000 lbs, or has 3 or more axles, you need IRP registration. IRP stands for the International Registration Plan.
Instead of buying plates in every state, you register with your base state. You get apportioned plates and a cab card, and your registration fees get split between the states you drive in, based on your miles. The cab card stays in the truck at all times. Our cab card and IRP guide explains how it works.
The plate fees depend on your state, your truck's weight, and where you run. We set up your IRP account, and you pay the state fees when they send the invoice.
Step 7: Get your IFTA license and decals
IFTA is the International Fuel Tax Agreement. It lets you report fuel tax for every state on one return, instead of paying each state on its own. The same trucks that need IRP need IFTA.
You get an IFTA license from your base state and two decals for each truck. After that, you file an IFTA report every quarter, showing the miles you drove and the fuel you bought in each state. Late reports come with penalties and interest. We set up your IFTA account, and we can file your quarterly reports too. Our IFTA guide covers the deadlines.
Step 8: Join a drug and alcohol program and the Clearinghouse
Every CDL driver has to be in a DOT drug and alcohol testing program, and that includes owner-operators. If you're the only driver, you have to join a drug and alcohol consortium, which puts you in a pool for random testing. You also need a negative pre-employment drug test before you drive.
Next, register your company in the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse and run a pre-employment query on yourself, then one every year after that. As an owner-operator, you have to name a consortium in the Clearinghouse to handle reporting for you. We can set up your Clearinghouse employer account.
Step 9: Build a driver qualification file on yourself
A driver qualification file, or DQ file, is a folder of paperwork the FMCSA wants on every driver. That includes you, even if you're a one-truck company. It holds your employment application, your driving record, your medical card, your road test or CDL, and a few other forms. It's one of the first things an auditor asks for, and missing paperwork in it is a common reason carriers fail. We build your DQ file so it's ready when the auditor asks.
State permits by lane
Some states add their own road taxes and permits on top of your federal filings. Which ones you need depends on where you run.
- Connecticut highway use fee. For trucks over 26,000 lbs on Connecticut roads. Read our Connecticut guide, or let us get your Connecticut permit.
- Kentucky KYU. For trucks 60,000 lbs and up on Kentucky roads, even if you're only passing through. Read our KYU guide, or let us get your KYU number.
- New Mexico weight distance. For trucks over 26,000 lbs on New Mexico roads. Read our New Mexico guide, or let us get your New Mexico permit.
- New York HUT. For trucks over 18,000 lbs on New York roads. Read our NY HUT guide, or let us get your NY HUT permit.
- Oregon weight-mile tax. For trucks over 26,000 lbs on Oregon roads. Read our Oregon guide, or let us get your Oregon permit.
- Texas TxDMV number. For trucks over 26,000 lbs that pick up and deliver loads inside Texas. Read our TxDMV guide, or let us get your TxDMV number.
Your first 12 months
Getting your authority is only half the job. Within your first 12 months, the FMCSA will do a new entrant safety audit on your records, and carriers that fail can lose their authority. Here's what they'll look at:
- Your ELD. Most semis running across state lines need an electronic logging device to track hours of service. Plan on $800 to $1,500 for the first year. We partner with Motive for ELDs.
- Hours of service records. Your logs, plus the supporting documents like fuel receipts and bills of lading.
- Maintenance files. Your annual DOT inspection, repair records, and daily inspection reports.
- Drug testing and DQ file. Proof you're in a consortium, your test results, and your driver file.
If you fail, you get a short window to send in a corrective action plan. If you don't, the FMCSA revokes your registration. Our safety audit help gets you ready before the auditor calls.
Every 2 years: the MCS-150 update
Every USDOT number needs a biennial update, called the MCS-150, every two years. Your filing month is set by the last two digits of your USDOT number. Miss it and your USDOT number can be deactivated. We can file your biennial update so you don't have to track it.
How much does it cost to start a trucking company with a semi?
There's a lot of variable costs depending on who you go through, what state you're in and so in. Here's a short summary of the items you'll need pay for in any situation.
| Filing | Government fee |
|---|---|
| USDOT number | Free |
| MC authority | $300 |
| Form 2290 | Up to $550 a year |
| UCR (0 to 2 trucks, 2027) | $55 a year |
| IRP plates | Varies by state, weight, and miles |
| IFTA license and decals | Varies by state |
| LLC | About $35 to $500, by state |
The big costs are the truck and the insurance. With a financed semi, most new companies need $15,000 to $35,000 in cash to get going. Our startup cost guide breaks down the full budget.
Frequently asked questions
How much does it cost to start a trucking company with one semi?+
Most new companies with a financed semi need $15,000 to $35,000 in cash. Insurance and the truck down payment are the biggest pieces. The government fees are much smaller: the MC application is $300, UCR is $55 for 2027, and Form 2290 is up to $550 a year.
Do I need an LLC to start a trucking company?+
The law doesn't require one. You can register as a sole proprietor, but then you, and your personal assets, can be held liable if something happens with the company. An LLC keeps the business separate from you, and it's what we recommend. We can file your LLC for you.
Can I start a trucking company with one truck?+
Yes. Most new carriers start with one truck and one driver. You need the same filings as a bigger company, and our Semi-Truck Start-Up Package is built for exactly that setup.
How long does it take to get my authority?+
Plan for a few weeks. Most new applications go into manual review at the FMCSA, which can take a few days up to a few weeks. After your MC is issued, there's a 21-day waiting period, and your authority won't go active until your insurance and BOC-3 are on file.
Do I need my own IRP and IFTA if I lease on?+
Not always. Many carriers run you under their IFTA account, and some plate your truck under their IRP account. It depends on your lease. If you plan to get your own authority later, having your own IRP and IFTA accounts makes the switch easier.
Get your semi on the road and keep it there.
We get your DOT, MC, BOC-3, UCR, 2290, IRP, and IFTA done, set up your drug testing and Clearinghouse account, and build your driver file. You work with a dedicated TIPS agent from day one, and you can call, text, or email us anytime. Forever.
Got questions first? Call (208) 278-6722 or text (208) 398-0635
Keep learning
Sources: FMCSA: Get Authority to Operate · FMCSA: Insurance Requirements · IRS: About Form 2290 · International Registration Plan · IFTA, Inc. · FMCSA Clearinghouse
Last updated November 6, 2026. Filing steps reflect the Motus registration system. UCR fee is for the 2027 registration year.