Start Your Trucking Company the Right Way
From LLC to your first load in 8 clear milestones. Follow our interactive guided launch at your own pace — or hire a human to walk it with you. Either way, you pay real government fees, not middleman markups.
Two Ways to Launch. Zero Guesswork.
Do it yourself with an expert system guiding every click — or have a real person review your situation and handle the heavy lifting with you.
Guided Carrier Launch
Do it yourself — with a system that knows the way
- Interactive 8-milestone launch system with visual progress
- Savable checkpoints — pick up exactly where you left off
- Direct links to every official .gov filing site
- Real government fees listed, so markups are obvious
- Scam & reseller warnings at every step
- 30 days of email support
- Member dashboard with your purchased services
Hire a Human
Done-with-you — we review, you relax
- Free review call — we assess exactly where you are today
- Flat price quoted based on what you actually need
- A real person walks each filing with you, screen by screen
- We catch the scams and junk mail before you pay them
- Insurance, plates and compliance sequenced correctly
- Ideal if you're mid-process, stuck, or short on time
8 Milestones from Idea to First Load
Every milestone in the guided launch has visual checklists, official links, real costs, and a savable checkpoint.
- 1
Form Your Business
LLC or corporation + free EIN
$50–$500 state fee · EIN is FREE
- 2
USDOT Number & MC Authority
FMCSA Unified Registration System
$300 per authority (FMCSA fee)
- 3
BOC-3 Process Agent
Required legal agent in every state
$20–$60 one-time (typical)
- 4
Commercial Trucking Insurance
Liability + cargo, filed direct to FMCSA
$8,000–$16,000+/yr (new authority)
- 5
UCR Registration
Unified Carrier Registration — annual
~$40–$50/yr for 0–2 trucks
- 6
IRP Plates, IFTA & HVUT (2290)
State credentials for interstate operation
$1,500–$3,000/yr IRP · HVUT up to $550/yr
- 7
Drug & Alcohol Program + Clearinghouse
DOT testing consortium & FMCSA Clearinghouse
$50–$150/yr per driver (consortium)
- 8
Go Live: ELD, Compliance File & First Loads
Final checks, then revenue
ELD ~$20–$40/mo
The Moment Your MC Number Publishes, the Sharks Circle
New carriers are flooded with official-looking letters and phone calls from resellers impersonating the FMCSA. Here's what these filings actually cost on the official sites — versus what the middlemen charge.
| Filing | Official source | Real cost | Typical reseller price |
|---|---|---|---|
| MC Operating Authority | portal.fmcsa.dot.gov | $300 | $600–$1,500 |
| EIN (Federal Tax ID) | irs.gov | FREE | $200–$350 |
| BOC-3 Process Agent | FMCSA agent list | $20–$60 | $150–$300+ |
| UCR Registration (1–2 trucks) | ucr.gov | ~$40–$50/yr | $100–$200 |
| HVUT Form 2290 | irs.gov | up to $550/yr | +$80–$120 'service fees' |
The guided launch links you straight to every official source and shows the real fee — so a markup can never sneak past you.
Get the Guided Carrier Launch
One payment of $99. No subscription required. Your progress is saved to your free Tacit OS account, and your member dashboard shows everything you've purchased.
- Interactive 8-milestone system with visual guidance
- Checkpoints saved at every milestone — resume any time
- Official FMCSA / IRS / UCR links with real fees
- Scam and reseller warnings at every step
- 30 days of email support from our team
- Member dashboard with your services & progress
Guided Carrier Launch
$99
one-time payment
Secure payment via Stripe · One-time payment · Requires a free Tacit OS account
Rather have a human handle it?
Book a free review call. We'll look at where you are — even if you've already started or gotten stuck — and quote you a flat price based on exactly what's left to do. No pressure, no packages you don't need.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to start a trucking company?
Plan for roughly $2,000–$5,000 in government fees and credentials (FMCSA authority $300, BOC-3 ~$30, UCR under $50, IRP plates $1,500–$3,000, HVUT up to $550) plus insurance, which is the largest cost at $8,000–$16,000+ per year for a new authority. Most 'startup packages' charge you hundreds extra for filings you can do yourself in minutes.
How long does it take to get trucking authority?
Your USDOT number is issued immediately when you apply through the FMCSA's Unified Registration System. Your MC authority becomes active roughly 20–25 days later, after the 21-day protest period — and only once your insurance (BMC-91) and BOC-3 process agent filing are on file.
What is included in the $99 Guided Carrier Launch?
An interactive, step-by-step launch system covering all 8 milestones from business formation to your first load: visual checklists with savable progress checkpoints, direct links to the official government sites for every filing, real fee amounts so you can spot reseller markups, scam warnings at each step, and 30 days of email support.
Will you file the paperwork for me?
The $99 Guided Launch is an educational do-it-with-you service — you submit your own filings with our step-by-step guidance, which keeps your costs at actual government rates. If you'd rather have a human handle it with you, book a free review call and we'll quote a flat price based on where you are in the process.
How do I avoid trucking startup scams?
Only pay government fees on official .gov sites: FMCSA authority at portal.fmcsa.dot.gov ($300), EIN free at irs.gov, UCR at ucr.gov (under $50 for small fleets), and the Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse at clearinghouse.fmcsa.dot.gov. After your MC number publishes, expect calls and mailers impersonating the FMCSA — the FMCSA never calls demanding payment.
Important: The Guided Carrier Launch is an educational service. Tacit OS does not submit filings on your behalf, and nothing here is legal, tax, or insurance advice. Government fees and requirements change — always verify current amounts on the official sites linked throughout the program. You remain responsible for the accuracy of your applications and your regulatory compliance.