Most services that walk a new carrier through USDOT registration, MC authority, BOC-3, and UCR charge a few hundred dollars for it. It's the same handful of government filings either way — we're giving away the same guidance for free.
No account, no email required to read this. Just the steps, in order, with links straight to the real government portals.
Answer three questions about how you operate and we'll point you at the right starting point.
Do you operate across state lines (interstate), or only within one state (intrastate-only)?
Do you haul for hire (for other parties, for compensation), or only your own goods (private carrier)?
Is your vehicle's GVWR (or combined GVWR/GCWR if you tow a trailer) over 10,001 lb, or 10,001 lb and under?
BuiltFleet Filing Checklist
USDOT · MC Authority · BOC-3 · UCR · MCS-150 — builtfleet.com/tools/filing-navigator
USDOT Number
A unique identifier FMCSA uses to track your safety record, filings, and compliance. Required for most interstate carriers over 10,001 lb GVWR/GCWR — and, regardless of weight, for carriers hauling 9+ passengers for compensation (16+ unpaid) or placarded hazardous materials.
File with FMCSA →MC / Operating Authority
Required in addition to a USDOT number if you operate for-hire in interstate commerce, hauling regulated freight or passengers that belong to someone else. Carriers hauling exclusively federally exempt commodities — certain raw agricultural products, for example — are the main exception.
File with FMCSA →BOC-3
Designates a process agent in each state you operate in, so legal papers can be served on your behalf. Required alongside MC operating authority.
More from FMCSA →UCR
An annual registration most interstate carriers need — for-hire or private, plus brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies. Carriers pay based on fleet size; entities with no trucks of their own pay a flat minimum fee. Separate from your USDOT and MC filings, and due every year.
File your UCR →MCS-150 biennial update
Every registered carrier has to update their FMCSA record every two years, on a schedule set by their own USDOT number. Use the calculator above for your due date.
Update with FMCSA →BOC-3 is the one filing on this page a carrier legally can't self-file — it requires a registered process agent in each state you operate in, and only a process agent can submit it to FMCSA on your behalf. BuiltFleet is not a process agent and doesn't refer you to one. This section is information only — finding and engaging a process agent is a step you'll need to take on your own.
This guide explains the general federal filing process for new trucking entrants. It isn't legal advice, and it isn't a substitute for reading FMCSA's own requirements for your specific operation.
BuiltFleet is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by FMCSA or the U.S. Department of Transportation, and does not file anything on your behalf. Always confirm requirements and complete filings directly with FMCSA and UCR.
Once your filings are in, tell us about your trucks and we'll take it from there.
Get a commercial auto quoteDo you file this for me?
No. This is a free guide to the official FMCSA and UCR filing process, not a filing service — you file directly with the government yourself.
Is this really free?
Yes. No account and no email are required to use the guide itself.