Owner-Operator Startup Kit

Everything you need to get your own authority and put your first truck under your name — without paying a $1,500 “processing” service to do paperwork you can do yourself. A plain-English, step-by-step walkthrough built for first-time owner-operators.

Inside this guide

• USDOT number and MC authority — what each one is and how to file (with screenshots of the FMCSA forms)

• BOC-3 process agent, Unified Carrier Registration (UCR), and IRP apportioned plates

• IFTA account setup and how the quarterly fuel tax actually works

• LLC vs. sole proprietor vs. S-corp — the real trade-offs for a one-truck operation

• Insurance you actually need: primary liability, cargo, non-trucking liability — and typical first-year costs

• Surviving the FMCSA New Entrant Safety Audit in your first 12 months

• A fillable 30-day launch timeline and a filing-deadline checklist

Format. Instant digital download (PDF). Yours to keep, read on any device.