What are the first steps....

Everything I need to know and more....THANKS!!!

 

You are welcome and if there is anything else I can help with post it here and I'll keep an eye out for it

 

Singel State is gone, at least for right now. That will save you some cost. It is July so your cost for the 2290(Highway heavy use tax) is due. This ends June 30th so the 550.00 is due every july 1st ( they give you until August to pay) KY, NM, NY was mentioned but OR was not mentioned. You need to set up an account in OR with a suriety bond. 1 truck is generally 2,000.00 bond with 10% given to a bonding company. Also your authority will not be active for a min of 10 business days (federal law). Generally some of our customers get them in approx 18 - 20 days. That is the fastest I have seen them go active.I would recommend a factoring company. If you run alot of loads for one particular broker or a few brokers then they tend to get a little uneasy if you opt for the quick pay all the time (but that is my opinion). I also would not run with just a few brokers, like what was stated earlier in regards to the 10,000 bond. It only takes (20) 500.00 loads to use up the bond. Spread yourself out to alot of different brokers as well as your own customers. Sign up with a few load boards and learn the freight market. Call on some loads and see what the pay is, so you can learn what to expect. If you choose to use a company to get your authority, ask them alot of questions see what the do for you before and afterwords. My company basically holds the o/o's hand through the whole process of getting the authority and even afterwords. Once you are out there on the road, alot more questions will arise. With the help from people on these forums and your agent if you use one, some of your headaches will not be so bad. Good luck

 

Well I don't know what the deal is with your customers but my DOT and MC was active as soon as the insurance fillings were made. Which was 48 hours. Please show me the LAW that you quoted, I'd love to see it.

Why would any one pay some one to do this for them is beyond me. It's not that hard to do and there is an abundance of help here of this forum as well as on SaferSys Not to mention your insurance agent handles MOST if not all the filings including the bond, and process agent so why pay someone else to do it for you. One of the best sources of information is your insurance agent. OR was handled in our filings.

Factoring companies are good if you want to support your family and theirs. If you don't have the money to get in the business and keep it running until you get paid then you shouldn't get in it.

 

Hi,

I'm new here and have been reading more than posting. I am confused about the authority. Do you have to have one before hauling to be legal or is it something that can be put off a few weeks?

Thanks,
"Tude"

 

Thank you Brickman! I did read the postings but seemed there was a "gray line" in there somewhere. Our DOT station is 11 miles down the road from us so it's going to be a challenge. I held my breath everytime we had to haul a load past them a few months back when we were driving for a company. We want to make sure everything stays legal. They've stopped my husband several times and even asked him for his log book! He works for a local irrigation company and hauls pipes, shaft, gearheads, whatever he needs to set or repair a pump on a gooseneck trailer behind a pickup. Had a 4X4 piece of wood app. 3 foot long under some piping and got a ticket because it wasn't secured with a boom.

Looking forward to this journey lol

 

who? they got a website?

 

nightwind
Examine FMCSR 365.115. Your number may have been posted as pending but it was not active. If you ran under it while it was pending then you were not Legal. The fastest I have been able to get a authority in active status is 18 days. Plain and Simple. If you still do not believe it then call the Federal Motor Carrier and they can explain the procedure. As far as insurance handeling filing I have seen far to many ins co's screw that up to and file the wrong type ie contract vs common or give them the wrong ins just to make a buck or get the ins business.

 

brodemoyer, I know what I know and mine was DONE and active in 48 hours. Facts are facts. If you want to make a living doing something that people are capable of then more power to you, I didn't and wouldn't.
As for the insurance co making a mistake I suppose it could happen. It's doubtful, but hey they are human just like you, and I bet you have made mistakes, like assuming because it works one way for you that it can't work another way for some one else. I don't believe in paying someone to do the work as I can do myself. I also believe that ANY one that wants to have their OWN authority better be the one doing ALL the paperwork and checking behind the ones that have to do certain things. Anyone that makes a living getting a driver their authority is as bad as a lumper if not worse in my book.
There is NO reason not to know what is and isn't being done, especially when it's YOUR livelihood that they are fooling around with. The folks are FMCSA are MORE than glad to help anyone and for free, unless you count paying taxes.
Use the resources that are available and do it yourself, there is no reason not to, it's simply not that hard.