Company File — Company Documents

This chapter gives you one practical ability: walk into any trucking company, open the Company File, and within half an hour tell whether things are in order or on fire. We'll go through every document: what it's for, what it looks like, who issues it, when it renews, where to find it if it's missing. At the end — a working checklist.

4.1. What a Company File Is and Why It Exists

The Company File is the set of root documents the company uses to prove it's legal, insured, authorized to haul freight, and paying taxes.

Four sets of eyes look into this folder:

• a DOT inspector during a Safety Audit;
• an insurance agent when issuing or renewing a policy;
• a broker before tendering a load;
• you, on day one of the job, to understand what you're dealing with.

Why it matters — short version:

1. Legal status. No Company File — no company. Just a few trucks with no rights.
2. The right to operate every day. Let one document lapse — insurance, UCR, IFTA — and Authority can freeze, and your driver catches a ticket at the first scale house.
3. The law. FMCSA, IRS, and DOT maintain a list of what you're required to keep and produce on demand. That's not a recommendation.

🫂 Pause. You're looking at the list of documents right now — Authority, MCS-150, MCS-90, UCR, IFTA, KY, NM, OR, ELD Certificate — and the thought in your head is: "I can't handle this, it's too much, I'll get lost." Stop that thought. I know it, I had it, every experienced Safety has had it. Yes, there are a lot of documents. But they get assembled once — when the company opens or when you come on board. After that your daily job isn't "gather everything," it's "check that nothing is expired." That's a different task, and a much easier one. By the end of this chapter you'll have a checklist. With a checklist, unfamiliar becomes routine.

What the Company File Looks Like in Practice

A regular folder in Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive. A physical folder works too, but why. Structure is simple:

`` Company File — ABC Trucking LLC/ ├── 01_Legal/ │ ├── Articles of Organization (LLC creation) │ ├── EIN Confirmation Letter │ └── Operating Agreement ├── 02_Authority/ │ ├── MC Certificate.pdf │ ├── USDOT Confirmation.pdf │ └── MCS-150 (last update).pdf ├── 03_Insurance/ │ ├── Certificate of Liability Insurance (COI).pdf │ ├── MCS-90.pdf │ └── MCS-90 (new).pdf ├── 04_Taxes_Permits/ │ ├── IFTA License (current year).pdf │ ├── UCR Receipt (current year).pdf │ ├── KY License.pdf │ ├── NM Weight Distance Permit.pdf │ ├── OR Permit.pdf │ └── NY HUT.pdf ├── 05_ELD/ │ ├── ELD Provider Contract.pdf │ ├── ELD Certificate of Compliance.pdf │ └── ELD User Manual (for drivers).pdf ├── 06_Accounts/ │ ├── MVR Account login.txt │ ├── Medstop (D&A Consortium) login.txt │ └── Clearinghouse login.txt └── 07_State_Release_Forms/ ├── NH Release Form.pdf └── PA DL503-TR.pdf ``

One rule: one company — one folder. If the owner has two USDOT numbers, keep two separate Company Files. Don't mix them. Ever.

4.2. The Legal Foundation

Before we talk about documents, you need to understand what entity they serve. In the U.S., businesses don't register federally — they register at the state level. Each state has its own database, its own forms, its own rules. The name "ABC Trucking LLC" is protected only in the state where it's registered. A different ABC Trucking can legally exist in the next state over.

Two Types of Companies You'll See in Trucking

LLC (Limited Liability Company) — 95% of all companies running 1–10 units. Why:

• Limited liability. If the company gets sued, the company's assets are on the line, not your house. On the condition that you don't mix personal and business money in the same account.
• Simple tax treatment. By default profit passes through to the owner's personal return.
• Minimum bureaucracy. No shareholders, no board meetings, no minutes.

Corporation (Corp / Inc) — for large businesses with shareholders and outside investors. For two or three trucks, it's overkill.

There's also Partnership — almost never seen in trucking.

What You Need to Request from the Owner on the Legal Side

1. Articles of Organization (for an LLC) or Articles of Incorporation (for a Corp) — the formation document issued by the Secretary of State.
2. EIN Confirmation Letter — the federal tax ID from the IRS. This number will show up on a dozen other documents.
3. Operating Agreement (for an LLC) — internal document covering ownership shares and profit distribution.

You won't need these daily. But during an audit, an insurance change, or opening a bank account — you'll need them, and hunting for them at that point is too late.

4.3. USDOT Number and MC Authority

Two main numbers from which everything else grows.

USDOT Number

USDOT (U.S. Department of Transportation) Number — the company's identifier in the FMCSA database. It lives with the company for its entire life. Usually issued free, though several states now charge a fee.

USDOT is required if at least one of these applies:

• the truck's GVWR is 10,001 lbs or more;
• the company operates between states (interstate);
• hauls 8+ passengers for pay or 15+ without pay;
• hauls hazmat.

In most states USDOT is also required for purely intrastate operations. Even if every route stays inside Texas — you still need the number.

What the Safety does with the USDOT:

• Keeps it memorized. You'll type it ten times a day.
• Knows the PIN — a four-digit FMCSA code. Without the PIN, you can't file a single online update.
• Regularly checks status on safer.fmcsa.dot.gov. Active vs. Out of Service is a huge difference.

MC Authority

MC (Motor Carrier) Authority — federal permission to haul freight interstate for hire. USDOT is "you've been added to the database." MC is "you've been authorized to operate as a carrier."

To get MC, the company:

1. Files through the Unified Registration System (form MCSA-1); since May 14, 2026 new registrations go through FMCSA's Motus system. (The legacy OP-1 form is only for existing carriers adding another authority type.)
2. Pays the $300 fee.
3. Submits proof of insurance via form BMC-91 (or BMC-34).
4. Designates Process Agents in each state — form BOC-3.
5. Waits out the publication window: after the application appears in the FMCSA Register there is a 10-day protest period (49 CFR 365.203), and in total it takes about 3 weeks to active authority.

MC comes in several types:

• Common Carrier of Property — hauls other people's freight for money. The most common.
• Contract Carrier — operates under direct contracts.
• Broker Authority — middleman, doesn't haul.
• Freight Forwarder — forwarder.

📎 Sample: in the book materials pack, truckernavi.com/en/book.

What to Read on the MC Certificate

• Service Date — the activation date of the Authority. This is the company's "birthday," many deadlines count from it.
• MC Number and USDOT Number.
• Company name and legal address.
• Type of operation — usually the line "common carrier of property." This is what determines which freight you're allowed to take.

⚠️ Don't skip the Type of Operation line. It determines what the dispatcher can book, what insurance you need, how the MCS-150 gets filled out. If the owner wants to start hauling hazmat or passengers six months in — that's a separate Authority, not "just add a checkbox."

🔵 Track A — Owner

Opening a company from scratch — the order goes like this:

1. Register an LLC with the state (Secretary of State).
2. EIN from the IRS (online, 10 minutes, free).
3. MCS-150 → you get the USDOT.
4. MCSA-1 (via FMCSA's Motus system since May 2026) → you get the MC.
5. BOC-3 — Process Agents.
6. Insurance (BMC-91) — the insurer files it with FMCSA directly.
7. Publication, with a 10-day protest period; about 3 weeks total.
8. Register UCR, IFTA, Clearinghouse, 2290 (HVUT).

On paper — eight steps. In reality — 6–8 weeks, during which every other owner trips up: picks the wrong type of operation, forgets BOC-3, misses the insurance deadline. The cost of the mistake: months of refiling and a reset Service Date.

🟢 Track B — Employed Safety

You got hired at a company that's already running. First steps:

1. Request the MC Certificate and USDOT Confirmation — put them in the Company File.
2. Check status on SAFER: Active or not.
3. Request the PIN. You'll need it on the first update.
4. Look at the Service Date. Less than 18 months — the company is in New Entrant status (see Chapter 1). Your priority is getting it ready for the Safety Audit.

4.4. MCS-150 — The Company's Passport

MCS-150 (Motor Carrier Identification Report) — the form the company uses to tell FMCSA everything about itself: address, phones, number of trucks, number of drivers, annual mileage, cargo types, classifications.

This is your main communication channel with FMCSA. Through MCS-150 you:

• activate a new company;
• deactivate (Out of Business);
• change address, phone, email;
• update truck and driver counts;
• switch operation type (Interstate / Intrastate, Hazmat / Non-Hazmat);
• file Reapplication after a failed New Entrant Audit;
• file the Biennial Update every two years.

Biennial Update

Every two years — not every three, not "when you get to it" — every company with a USDOT is required to file an MCS-150 Update. The deadline is set by the last digit of the USDOT and the second-to-last digit (month and year).

Miss it — USDOT deactivates — the company can't operate. Restoring it afterward takes time and nerves.

📎 Sample: in the book materials pack, truckernavi.com/en/book.

Fields to Look at First

Reason for Filing:

• New Application — first filing.
• Biennial Update or Change — regular update or change.
• Out of Business Notification — closing down.
• Reapplication — after a failed New Entrant Audit.

Addresses:

• Principal Place of Business — where the company physically is.
• Mailing Address — where mail goes. Can be "Same."

Company Operation: Interstate / Intrastate, Hazmat / Non-Hazmat.

Operation Classification:

• Authorized For Hire — hauls for money under MC.
• Exempt For Hire — hauls for money goods that don't require MC.
• Private Property — hauls only its own.

Cargo Classification (item 24) — what exactly you haul. By default — General Freight.

⚠️ This is where people lose money on insurance. The more boxes checked in Cargo Classification, the higher the premium. Insurers read your profile and price the risk. Don't check categories "just in case." Only what you actually haul. I've seen companies paying thousands extra per year simply because someone checked extra boxes "to be thorough."

Hazard Materials (item 25) — if you haul hazmat, list the class.

🚗 Car hauling — separate. If the company hauls cars, you must check class 9 NB (Class 9, Non-Bulk). Without this box, your drivers formally have no right to transport vehicles. Every update for a car hauler — check this item again.

Number of Vehicles (item 26):

• Owned — owned by the company.
• Term Leased — on long-term lease.
• Trip Leased — leased for one trip.

Broken out by type: Straight Trucks, Truck Tractors, Trailers, etc.

Driver Information (item 27):

• Interstate vs Intrastate.
• 100-mile radius vs Beyond 100-mile radius — critical for HOS (see Chapter 7).
• Total CDL drivers.

📌 Car hauling under 26,000 lbs GVWR — CDL not required. In the CDL drivers field you write 0.

Signature (item 30): name and signature of Owner or Authorized Representative, title (President / Owner / Safety Manager), date.

Two Ways to File

Paper form. Fill out the PDF, fax it in. Processing 15–30 days. Works if you don't have the PIN yet.

Online through SAFER. Five minutes. Requires the FMCSA PIN.

How to Get the PIN

1. FMCSA site → Request PIN.
2. Choose by email or hardcopy letter.
3. Enter USDOT, EIN, company name, Official's name and title.
4. The code arrives at the company's official email.
5. Enter the code → the PIN comes to the same email.

After that, any update is 5 minutes online.

📋 Checklist: MCS-150 Update

• [ ] Collected current numbers: trucks, trailers, drivers.
• [ ] Counted mileage for the last 12 months (pulled from IFTA reports).
• [ ] Verified address and phones.
• [ ] Checked Operation Classification — no changes?
• [ ] Checked Cargo Classification — no extra boxes that push up insurance?
• [ ] If car hauler — class 9 NB is in place.
• [ ] Logged into SAFER with PIN → filed the update online.
• [ ] Downloaded PDF confirmation → into Company File.

4.5. Insurance: COI and MCS-90

Without insurance, Authority doesn't activate. If insurance lapses, the company is deactivated instantly. This is the most painful and most expensive document in the Company File.

Certificate of Insurance (COI)

COI (Certificate of Liability Insurance) — proof that insurance exists and at what limits. Issued by the insurance company, renewed annually.

📎 Sample: in the book materials pack, truckernavi.com/en/book.

Every insurer's format is different, but the mandatory fields are the same:

• Producer — insurance broker.
• Insured — company + USDOT/MC.
• Certificate Number — unique policy number.
• Types of Insurance:
• Commercial General Liability — usually $1M.
• Automobile Liability — usually $1M (federal minimum $750K).
• Cargo Insurance — usually $100K.
• Optional: Refrigeration Breakdown for reefers.
• Policy Number.
• Policy Effective Date and Policy Expiration Date.
• Limits — coverage limits.

What the Safety Checks

1. Expiration Date. Thirty days before expiration the new COI must already be in the file. Not in email, not "they promised to send it" — in the file.
2. Coverage amounts. Do they match the MCS-90? If not — you're in the danger zone, keep reading.
3. USDOT/MC on the document. Definitely yours?
4. Certificate Holder. Someone requested a copy — a broker, a client. That's normal, just log it.

MCS-90 — The Endorsement Nobody Really Understands

MCS-90 is a federal endorsement (attachment) to the auto policy. In plain terms:

MCS-90 is a written promise from the insurer to the federal government: in the event of a crash by the insured, at least $750,000 will be available to cover third-party damages ($1,000,000 for oil and most hazmat, $5,000,000 for certain high-risk hazmat categories).

It protects crash victims, not the company. If the primary policy doesn't pay for some reason, the insurer still pays under MCS-90 — and then comes after the carrier to recover the amount.

📎 Sample: in the book materials pack, truckernavi.com/en/book.

How MCS-90 Gets Filled Out

The Safety fills out their portion, sends it to the insurance agent, who completes the rest and returns it signed.

The Safety fills in:

• USDOT Number.
• Company name.
• State of registration.
• Phone.

The insurer fills in:

• Policy Number.
• Effective Date.
• Name of Insurance Company.
• Agent's name and signature.
• Coverage limit amount.

⚠️ The Main MCS-90 Trap

This is where Safeties regularly expose their company. Look carefully.

The COI says, say, $1,000,000 coverage. But the MCS-90 says only $750,000, because that's the "federal minimum."

Here's what that means on paper: the insurance is for a million, but federally registered at only 750K. A $900K accident — FMCSA sees that coverage "is enough," but the insurer actually pays only 750K under MCS-90. The rest sits on the company.

What you do:

• Ask the agent to list the same amount on the MCS-90 as on the COI. $1M on the COI — $1M on the MCS-90. Not less.
• Move from 750K to 1M coverage — immediately redo the MCS-90. Not next week.

🧰 What to do if you're scared Insurance terminology is where beginners feel stupid. Don't. Ask the agent the dumbest questions you can — that's literally their job. Agent gets irritated — agent is incompetent. Switch. Your job isn't to become an insurance guru. Your job is to keep a current COI and a current MCS-90 with matching limits in the Company File. That's it.

4.6. ELD: Contract and Manual

ELD (Electronic Logging Device) — electronic logger for driver hours of service (HOS). By federal rule, ELD use is mandatory for everyone (the rare exceptions are in Chapter 7).

Three documents from the provider must live in the Company File:

1. ELD Provider Contract — contract with the provider.
2. ELD Certificate of Compliance — confirmation that the device is registered and approved by FMCSA.
3. ELD User Manual — instructions for the driver (must be in the cab).

Vetting the Provider

There are 100+ ELD providers on the market. Not all are legitimate. Before you sign a contract, check the FMCSA list:

🔗 https://eld.fmcsa.dot.gov/List

Provider is on the list — go. Not on the list — at inspection the device gets rejected, the driver gets a ticket. Never skip this check, no matter how pretty the provider's website is.

📎 Samples of ELD certificates and manuals (ELD One, EzLogz): in the book materials pack, truckernavi.com/en/book.

What the Driver Must Have in the Cab

Per §395.22:

1. The ELD provider's User Manual.
2. Data Transfer instructions — how to send the log to a roadside inspector.
3. Malfunction instructions — what to do if the device fails.
4. A supply of blank paper log sheets for 8 days in case the ELD fails.

What the Company Itself Keeps

• Monthly backups of electronic HOS data, stored separately from the primary storage.
• This is also a §395.22 requirement — not "nice to have," but mandatory.

4.7. MVR Account and D&A Consortium

These aren't documents. They're portal accounts. Without them you don't hire drivers and don't manage them.

MVR Account

MVR (Motor Vehicle Record) — a driver history report from the state DMV. The Safety is required to pull MVR:

• when hiring a driver (pre-employment);
• every 12 months on an active driver;
• and keep it in the Driver File for 3 years.

The MVR shows everything: license, endorsements, violations, crashes, suspensions, disqualifications. Usually for 3 years, sometimes 5.

📎 Sample: in the book materials pack, truckernavi.com/en/book.

Where to get MVR:

• Directly from the DMV — slow and expensive.
• Through aggregators. TruckerNavi uses Driving Record (drivingrecord.com). Alternatives: SambaSafety, SuperiorMRS, HireRight.
• Report cost — $10–20.

Release Forms — Driver Consent

Pulling an MVR without the driver's written consent violates the federal DPPA (Driver's Privacy Protection Act). This isn't a formality — fines are real.

Forms:

• General release form — works for 47 states.
• Separate forms for:
• New Hampshire: its own release form (sample: in the book materials pack, truckernavi.com/en/book).
• Pennsylvania: form DL-503-TR (sample: in the book materials pack).
• Washington — its own form.

You get the driver's signature before pulling the MVR, not after.

D&A Consortium (Medstop or Equivalent)

Drug & Alcohol Consortium — the service the company uses to:

• send candidates for pre-employment drug test;
• run random testing (a minimum of 50% of drivers per year for drugs, 10% for alcohol);
• receive and store results in the Driver File;
• integrate with the FMCSA Clearinghouse (Chapter 9).

TruckerNavi uses Medstop. Alternatives: Quest Diagnostics, LabCorp, US Drug Test Centers, and other FMCSA-approved providers.

⚠️ A company with fewer than 3 drivers is a special case. Most consortiums don't include companies that small in the general random pool. You need a provider with a micro-pool, otherwise you're technically violating §382.305. Not everyone knows this. Now you do.

Detailed breakdown of the D&A program and the Clearinghouse — Chapter 9.

4.8. Taxes and Permits: IFTA, UCR, and State-Level

A trucking company pays a lot of different taxes — by mileage, by weight, by state. Some federal, some state. The Safety usually doesn't calculate them — the bookkeeper does. But the Safety keeps the licenses and permits in the Company File.

IFTA License

IFTA (International Fuel Tax Agreement) — an agreement among the 48 U.S. states and part of Canada's provinces that simplifies fuel tax reporting. Alaska, Hawaii, and some Canadian territories don't participate.

How it works:

1. The company registers in its home state — gets the IFTA License.
2. Gets 2 decals (stickers) per truck, applied to the cab.
3. Every quarter files a report: miles in each state + fuel purchased in each state.
4. The system reconciles — you owe more or you get a refund.

IFTA is mandatory for trucks with GVWR 26,001 lbs or more.

📎 Sample: in the book materials pack, truckernavi.com/en/book.

What you keep:

• IFTA License for the current year (PDF). Expires December 31, renew in November–December.
• History of decals.

Full IFTA breakdown — Chapter 8.

UCR

UCR (Unified Carrier Registration) — an annual federal fee for every company with interstate operations. Funds go to road upkeep and safety.

• Renewed annually, deadline usually December. There's a penalty for missing it.
• Amount depends on fleet size (brackets: 0–2, 3–5, 6–20 trucks and up). For 2026: 0–2 trucks $46, 3–5 trucks $138, 6–20 trucks $276. For large fleets — thousands.
• Payment at ucr.gov.

In the Company File — receipt for the current year.

State Permits: KY, NY, NM, OR

These are four states that live separately from IFTA and require their own registration if you drive through them.

Kentucky — KY Weight Distance Tax License. Trucks 60,000+ lbs passing through Kentucky. Paid quarterly based on mileage. 📎 Sample: in the book materials pack, truckernavi.com/en/book.

New York — NY HUT (Highway Use Tax). All trucks 18,001+ lbs inside New York. Decal on the cab + quarterly reporting.

New Mexico — Weight Distance Permit. Trucks 26,001+ lbs passing through New Mexico. 📎 Sample: in the book materials pack, truckernavi.com/en/book.

Oregon — Oregon Weight-Mile Tax. The trickiest of the four. Trucks 26,001+ lbs, OR Permit, mileage tax filed monthly. 📎 Sample: in the book materials pack, truckernavi.com/en/book.

📌 Simple rule. If your drivers ever pass through these states — get the permit. Cheaper to file in advance than to collect fines at the scales.

Sometimes Connecticut HUF and separate Pennsylvania IFTA permits also come into play — depends on operations.

🔵 Track A — Owner

This is where a lot of owners stall: "Do I really need Oregon? What about Kentucky?" My answer is short:

• Running nationwide — get all four (KY, NY, NM, OR) upfront. $200–500 one-time and $100–500 a year. One scale stop without a permit — $500 to $2,000 fine. The math is obvious.
• Running regionally — look at the map and pull permits for your lanes.

🟢 Track B — Employed Safety

You're taking over a company — work in this order:

1. Ask the owner about actual routes — where do drivers go.
2. See which licenses and permits are already in place.
3. Check expiration dates.
4. Build a list of what's missing. Bring it to the owner.

Temporary Credentials

Document is filed but not yet issued — sometimes you get a Temporary Credential / Receipt of Application. It can be used temporarily in place of the full license.

📎 Sample: in the book materials pack, truckernavi.com/en/book.

4.9. Three Scenarios: Ideal, Typical, Failing

To lock this in — three typical companies.

Ideal Company File

A hypothetical "ABC Trucking LLC," 5 trucks, 5 drivers, two years in business.

• Everything in one Google Drive folder.
• Subfolders by type (Legal / Authority / Insurance / Taxes_Permits / ELD / Accounts / Release_Forms).
• Files named on a single pattern: USDOT_Update_2024-01-15.pdf.
• Insurance renews 45 days before expiration.
• MCS-150 Biennial Update — a month before deadline, not "yesterday."
• Calendar with reminders: IFTA Q1 by April 30, UCR by December 31, OR monthly.

At a surprise DOT inspection, the Safety pulls any document in ten minutes. Safety Audit — Satisfactory.

Typical Company File

"XYZ Express LLC," 3 trucks. Owner is his own Safety.

• COI in email, MCS-90 in a messenger app, IFTA license somewhere in a drawer.
• Owner is sure: "I've paid for everything."
• Missed UCR last year — paid a $100 penalty and got it back.
• Forgot the MCS-150 Update — USDOT deactivated, had to restore through a third party.
• Company runs, but every month a driver has some small paperwork problem on the road.

The company is alive. The owner lives in chronic low-grade stress. When a Safety Audit comes — panic and sleepless nights.

Failing Company File

"Fast Lane Trans," 2 trucks.

• Owner doesn't know what an MCS-150 Biennial Update is.
• USDOT was deactivated six months ago. Drivers keep running.
• Insurance expired three weeks ago. MC Authority frozen.
• Last quarter's IFTA not filed — penalty and registration block on the truck.
• Driver gets pulled over: expired registration, no ELD manual in the cab, USDOT deactivated. Four tickets totaling $2,100, truck goes Out of Service for 48 hours.

Result: $5,000 in fines, $3,000 in downtime, four weeks to restore Authority. Owner is thinking about shutting it all down.

The difference between these three companies isn't money, experience, or luck. The difference is whether there's a Company File and whether someone is watching it.

4.10. Checklist: "Meeting the Company File"

First day at the company (🟢 employed Safety) or first day of your own (🔵 owner) — run this list.

📎 Sample: in the book materials pack, truckernavi.com/en/book.

📋 Company File — Startup Check

• [ ] Legal: Articles of Organization, EIN Confirmation, Operating Agreement.
• [ ] USDOT Number recorded, Active status in SAFER.
• [ ] FMCSA PIN in hand. If not — request by email.
• [ ] MC Authority (MC Certificate) in PDF, Service Date known.
• [ ] MCS-150 — latest version on file, next Biennial Update date known.
• [ ] COI current, expiration date logged.
• [ ] MCS-90 signed by insurer, limits match the COI.
• [ ] ELD:
• [ ] Provider on the FMCSA Registered ELDs list.
• [ ] Contract on file.
• [ ] Certificate of Compliance on file.
• [ ] User Manual available to drivers.
• [ ] MVR Account exists (or set up).
• [ ] D&A Consortium exists (Medstop or equivalent).
• [ ] FMCSA Clearinghouse — company registered (see Chapter 9).
• [ ] IFTA License for current year, decals on trucks.
• [ ] UCR paid for current year.
• [ ] 2290 (HVUT) paid for current period (July 1 – June 30).
• [ ] State permits: KY, NY HUT, NM, OR — matched to routes.
• [ ] Release Forms: general + specific (NH, PA, WA).

⭐ Chapter 4 Takeaway

1. The Company File is the folder of base documents on which the legality of the entire business depends.
2. Two root numbers — USDOT (every carrier) and MC Authority (interstate for-hire).
3. MCS-150 is your main channel to FMCSA. Biennial Update every 2 years, no exceptions.
4. Insurance = COI + MCS-90. The limits must match. Renewal — 30+ days before expiration.
5. ELD provider — only from the FMCSA Registered ELDs list. Contract, Certificate, Manual — on file.
6. Portals: MVR Account, D&A Consortium, Clearinghouse. Without them you don't manage drivers.
7. Taxes and permits: IFTA (+ decals), UCR, HVUT (2290), KY, NY HUT, NM, OR — each with its own deadline.
8. Release Forms — general + NH, PA, WA for MVR requests.

✅ You've got this with Chapter 4 if…

• [ ] You can list 10+ Company File documents without prompting.
• [ ] You can explain the difference between USDOT and MC Authority.
• [ ] You know what the MCS-150 Biennial Update is and how often it's filed.
• [ ] You understand the difference between COI and MCS-90 and the limits trap.
• [ ] You can explain why you need KY, NY, NM, OR permits.
• [ ] You know how to get the FMCSA PIN if it doesn't exist.
• [ ] You can walk into a company and assess the Company File in 30 minutes using the checklist.

💰 Opening your own company and don't want to spend 6 weeks figuring out forms?

Registering a trucking company is 8 sequential steps. A mistake on an early step (wrong LLC type, wrong Operation Classification, forgotten BOC-3) turns into months of refiling and real money lost.

• LLC registration in the right state.
• EIN from the IRS.
• MCS-150 filing, USDOT issued.
• MCSA-1 filing (via FMCSA's Motus system), MC Authority issued.
• BOC-3 — Process Agents in all 50 states.
• UCR registration for the current year.
• FMCSA Clearinghouse registration.

In 4–6 weeks you get an active company and launch on your first load, not on form-wrestling.

Offices: New York · New Jersey · Florida.