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New trucking company checklist: your first year with a USDOT number

Independent private company. DOT Due Dates is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or operated by FMCSA, USDOT or any government agency. This is general education, not legal advice, and nothing here guarantees an audit result. Every government filing mentioned can be done directly with the agency.

Everything a new interstate carrier is expected to have in place in year one, in order, with the official rule or agency page for each item. Free, no sign-up.

See your own dates

Enter your USDOT number to see your MCS-150, UCR, IFTA and 2290 deadlines.

Before you haul: registration

USDOT number and Form MCS-150 on file, with your USDOT number marked on both sides of each power unit.
Source: 49 CFR 390.19T · 49 CFR 390.21T
Operating authority (MC number) if you haul regulated freight for hire across state lines. FMCSA won't activate it until your insurance and BOC-3 are on file.
Source: FMCSA: Get authority to operate
BOC-3 process agent filing (one time, usually filed by a process-agent company). If it is cancelled, your authority can be suspended.
Source: FMCSA: BOC-3 · our BOC-3 guide
Liability insurance filed by your insurer with FMCSA (Form BMC-91 or BMC-91X). Minimum for general freight in vehicles over 10,001 lbs is $750,000; more for oil and some hazmat. Keep proof at your place of business.
Source: 49 CFR 387.9 · 49 CFR 387.7

Before your first CDL driver drives: drug and alcohol

A DOT drug and alcohol testing program, including a random testing pool. A one-truck owner-operator still needs one, usually by joining a consortium/third-party administrator (C/TPA).
Source: 49 CFR 382.115 · 49 CFR 382.305
A negative pre-employment drug test result before the driver does any safety-sensitive work.
Source: 49 CFR 382.301
Register as an employer in the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse, run a full pre-employment query on each CDL driver, then a query at least once a year.
Source: 49 CFR 382.701 · clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov
A written policy and educational materials for drivers, plus 60 minutes of alcohol and 60 minutes of drug training for supervisors.
Source: 49 CFR 382.601 · 49 CFR 382.603

Every driver, every truck: records the auditor reviews

A driver qualification file for each driver: application, motor vehicle record inquiry, previous-employer safety history, road test or CDL equivalent, medical examiner's certificate, annual review.
Source: 49 CFR 391.51 · 49 CFR 391.23 · 49 CFR 391.25
Hours-of-service records (ELD or paper logs, unless an exemption applies) plus supporting documents, kept 6 months.
Source: 49 CFR 395.8 · 49 CFR 395.11
A maintenance file for each vehicle, driver vehicle inspection reports, and an annual periodic inspection on every CMV.
Source: 49 CFR 396.3 · 49 CFR 396.11 · 49 CFR 396.17
An accident register covering the past 3 years, even if it's empty.
Source: 49 CFR 390.15

In your first 12 months: the New Entrant Safety Audit

FMCSA conducts a safety audit, generally within 12 months after you begin operations (120 days for passenger carriers). Your new entrant monitoring period lasts 18 months.
Source: FMCSA New Entrant program · 49 CFR 385.307 · Appendix A to Part 385
16 violations mean automatic failure, for example no random testing program, no insurance, or no hours-of-service records. If you fail, you get 60 days (45 for passenger and hazmat carriers) to fix it, or your registration is revoked.
Source: 49 CFR 385.321 · 49 CFR 385.319

Recurring filings

UCR: register and pay every year before January 1 if you operate interstate. The fee is set by fleet size.
Source: UCR Plan · UCR guide
IFTA fuel tax license and quarterly returns, and IRP apportioned plates, if you run a qualified motor vehicle (generally over 26,000 lbs or 3+ axles) in more than one jurisdiction. Both go through your base state.
Source: IFTA, Inc. · IRP, Inc.
IRS Form 2290 (Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax) for trucks with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 lbs or more.
Source: IRS: Form 2290
MCS-150 biennial update every 24 months, on a schedule set by your USDOT number. (FMCSA has paused enforcement for updates due on or after June 1, 2026 during the Motus transition.)
Source: 49 CFR 390.19T · due-date table
Some states add their own taxes or permits, for example weight-distance taxes in Kentucky, New Mexico, New York and Oregon. Check your base state and the states you run.
Source: your state DMV or tax department

Want help getting ready for the safety audit?

The Audit-Prep Kit ($149, one-time) walks you through what the auditor reviews, with document checklists, fill-in templates and the rule behind each item. It's a do-it-yourself study guide, not a guarantee and not legal advice.

See what's in the kit

Questions

When is the New Entrant Safety Audit?

FMCSA says the safety audit generally takes place within 12 months after a new carrier begins operations, and within 120 days for passenger carriers. It may happen at your place of business or offsite, where you send in documents.

Does FMCSA charge for the safety audit?

No. The audit itself is free. You do not need to hire anyone to take it, though some carriers choose to.

What happens if I fail?

FMCSA sends written notice. Most carriers then have 60 days (45 for passenger and hazmat carriers) to submit an acceptable corrective action plan. If they do not, the new entrant registration is revoked and the carrier is placed out of service (49 CFR 385.319 and 385.325).

Is this checklist complete for my business?

It covers the common federal requirements for a new interstate property carrier. Hazmat, passenger, household goods and intrastate-only carriers have extra or different rules, and states add their own. Confirm with FMCSA and your state.

Last reviewed October 16, 2026 against the eCFR (current as of October 14, 2026) and FMCSA pages linked below.