The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) charges truckers $300 for filing and issuing an operating authority. This fee includes the registration of your USDOT and MC number. Reinstating an existing authority costs $80, and requesting a name change on the paperwork has a meager $14 fee.
Filing an operating authority costs less than $500 in total, but the process comes with several hidden fees, including:
Do not blindly jump into getting an operating authority. While owner-operators get to keep 100% of their profits, they also take responsibility for running every aspect of their business. Qualifying for an owner authority is one thing, but becoming an owner-operator is another.
Reassess your trucking business multiple times before pulling the trigger. Ensure that you have a great network of shippers and brokers, understand what loads you want to take on, and have designated professionals running your different departments.
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) charges $300 for filing and issuing an operating authority.
Apart from the filing fee, some hidden costs include insurance, fuel, DAT and Truckstop subscriptions, Transportation Management Software (TMS), IFTA filing, and electronic logging device (ELD).
Before getting your own operating authority, ensure that you have a strong network of shippers and brokers, understand what loads you want to take on, and have designated professionals running your different departments.
Did you decide to continue leasing to a motor carrier in the meantime? Let Assured Standard help with your insurance. Check out our piece explaining the insurance requirements on a leased carrier.