Getting your own authority (MC number + DOT number) is the cleanest path to maximum take-home — but the FMCSA paperwork pipeline is slow, opaque, and easy to mess up. We coordinate the whole setup: filings, fees, COI sourcing, BOC-3 process agents, broker packets, and the New Entrant Safety Audit prep that comes 6–12 months later.
MC + DOT Authority Setup is included in every driver's dispatch — no separate charge, no upcharge tier. Below is exactly what's covered.
Partners we work with: Progressive Commercial · OOIDA Insurance · Berkshire Hathaway GUARD · NTL (BOC-3 agents).
Week 1: File OP-1 (MC application) and SR-1 (process agent designation) with FMCSA. We file these the same day you sign up. The 21-day protest period starts here. Federal filing fee: $300, plus UCR fees by state ($59–$1,500 depending on fleet size — owner-ops are at the low end).
Weeks 2–3: Insurance shopping. We send your driving record + truck info to 4–6 commercial truck insurers and present the quotes side-by-side. Once you pick, the insurer files BMC-91 (liability) and BMC-34 (cargo) directly with FMCSA.
Week 4: Authority activates (assuming no protests, which 99% don't see). DOT number issues simultaneously. You can now book freight.
Weeks 5–6: First load. We onboard you to our dispatch system, load broker packets, and place the first call. Most new authorities run their first load in week 5.
Month 6–12: New Entrant Safety Audit. FMCSA contacts you to schedule. We pre-prep your driver qualification file, HOS records, and drug-and-alcohol consortium paperwork. Audit takes 30 minutes if your records are clean.
Apply now and a US-based dispatcher will call you within the hour to walk through onboarding. No contract. No setup fee. Just better loads.