I want to join you all and get my own authority! But heres my checklist

You will need the DOT # before insurance companies will even give you a quote. Once you apply for your dot ($300) you have 2 months to get insurance & a process agent (the later is a free service OOIDA provides for members).

You will need a truck before you can get insurance. You may need a VIN just to get quotes -- quotes that can take days to get. If you don't have a truck & trailer, grab the VINs from comparable equipment to what you'll be buying to get you in the ballpark.

Once you buy your equipment, you'll buy insurance using the correct VIN. It can take a couple days to get the certificates. Make sure you they send you the California Accord in addition to sending the FMCSA the federal certificate. You will need the CA certificate for your CHP/DMV motor carrier permit.

Apply with CHP for your CA#. You will also need to apply for a BIT inspection. I think this was $1200?

Register your truck & trailer. You'll need to pay the DMV 8% of the purchase price.

Pay the IRS the HVUt 2290 ($550)

Do your UCR ($80)

Then apply for your apportioned plate. The fun part is you need IFTA to get the apportioned plate, but you need an apportioned plate to get IFTA. Ifta was only like $12, the plate like $2200.

Once you get through that apply for your California Motor Carrier Permit ($50? but it requires a CA# from chp and BIT fees paid). If you have an employee you will also need proof of worker's comp.


Other things to do:

Enroll in a drug testing consortium and have all drivers undergo a pre-employment drug screen (OOIDA has a program)
Begin a driver qualification file for every driver with application, work history, medical card, drug test results, road test results, license, social security card, etc
Open a maintenance file for each piece of equipment. You will need an annual DOT inspection and quarterly inspections for California.


Other things you may have to do

set up a use tax account (you have to pay CA sales tax on things you buy out of state)
city business license

 

http://www.tritoninsurance.com/contact/

Ask for Pavel Metlenko

 

If that is the minimum tax in California, it might be be better off setting up your LLC in Nevada or another state. The minimum tax I pay in my state is about $136/year.

 

Just one of a million reasons not to do business in this state...

 

I have done quite a bit of consulting.

 

Northland is the best insurance to get. Running in CA your going to need a fairly new truck because of emissions. I'm assuming you have around $100,000 in cash to get started or a house to put up as collateral for a loan?

 

He'll want a fairly new truck running teams anyway -- otherwise I'd recommend a 94-95 FLD or t600 which is legal until 2016.