GET YOUR AUTHORITY AND GAIN YOUR INDEPENDENCE
Joe Morten & Son, Inc. has been offering industry-leading insurance packages for more than 85 years.
Did you know we also offer additional service bundles to help you obtain your own DOT and operating authority? We have the experience to help you begin or restart your career as an owner operator so you can become your own boss!
OUR AUTHORITY SERVICE BUNDLE
- New DOT Only
- New DOT & MC (limited Hazmat assistance)
- New MC (brokerage)
NO EXTRA FEES FOR THE FIRST YEAR ON ALL FOLLOWING SERVICES:
- Biennial updates on your interstate DOT as required by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).
- Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) fees.
- Address changes.
- Name changes.
- Operational updates such as changes in commodities, changing from intrastate to interstate hauling, adding drivers and equipment.
- Shutdown of DOT/MC if your plans change
- Reinstatement of your DOT, MC, or both.
- Un-dismissal of operating authority.
- Assistance with many FMCSA questions.
- Obtaining a process agent for your MC operating authority.
- Access to discounts and services, including but not limited to fuel discounts, tire discounts, office supply discounts, lodging discounts, IFTA preparation savings, shop discounts, medical care, and trucking software.
Note: Our service fees are in addition to any FMCSA fees.
Frequently Asked Questions
A Department of Transportation (DOT) number is not transferrable in the majority of instances when a company is sold. In these cases, a new DOT number is required and the Motor Carrier (MC) number is then transferred to the new DOT. This process can take many weeks to be completed. Authority services can obtain the new DOT and complete the necessary paperwork to be submitted to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to complete the transfer. For more information, click here: Do I need a new USDOT number if I am changing my company’s Legal Name or Form of Business? | FMCSA
Authority services can assist in doing biennial updates on interstate DOT’s as is required by the FMCSA every other year. The biennial update schedule is determined by the last two digits of the DOT. The last digit is the month the update is due and the second to last digit determines if the update is due in even or odd years. An intrastate DOT is not subject to the biennial schedule by the FMCSA – however the DOT record should be kept up to date. An MC number doesn’t require renewal - as long as the appropriate amount of liability insurance and the process agent remain on file, the MC numbers will remain active. Authority services doesn’t process any oversize or overweight permits, or intrastate permits, however, we are often able to provide links and applications for the motor carrier to submit.
The best source to look up a DOT number is to check the Safety and Fitness Electronic Records System (SAFER) website: safer.fmcsa.dot.gov. The best source to check the status of an MC operating authority is to look up the MC number in the licensing and insurance website: Licensing & Insurance Carrier Search (dot.gov) The MC number can be viewed on this site whether it is active, inactive, pending or dismissed.
A DOT number is generated immediately when requested online with the FMCSA, however the DOT will not show active in SAFER until the following business day. An MC number is also generated immediately when requested, however it will not go active for approximately 14-15 business days during which time the insurance (BMC-91X) and process agent(BOC-3) forms must be filed.
The following pieces of information are required when apply for a DOT number: name, (If the legal name is an LLC or INC., it must be active on the secretary of state web site in their state); address, (cannot have a post office box as a primary address); email address; phone number; FEIN; number of trucks; trailers; and drivers. You will also need to provide the types of commodities you haul and whether the commodities will be hauled as only intrastate or both intrastate and interstate. The types of commodities and whether you haul outside your state will determine if an MC operating authority is needed.
A DOT number is required for motor carriers who haul for hire outside their base state in a vehicle rated over 10,000 pounds. There are a few states that do not require a DOT number if the motor carrier is strictly intrastate, however that list is small. The following link will allow a motor carrier to determine if they do or do not need a DOT: Do I Need a USDOT Number? | FMCSA