Get My USDOT Number
Free USDOT Number
Acquiring a USDOT number doesn’t cost anything. However, if your business requires operating authority, you might need to get an MC number or other designations that do come with fees. Our experts can help you understand and navigate the process, making sure you have everything you need to get started. We’ll even provide a free USDOT number for you.
Do I need a USDOT Number?
The first thing to do when registering your commercial motor vehicle (CMV) is to figure out if you need a USDOT number. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has rules about this. Getting a USDOT number involves some technical details. Making a mistake or missing something when describing your cargo or operation can waste time and money. That’s why we recommend seeking assistance from U.S Carrier Registration Plan when applying for a USDOT Number and starting your own trucking business. Our experienced consultants have been helping people file USDOT applications for years.
Purpose of USDOT number
What is a USDOT number, and why do you need one? USDOT stands for U.S. Department of Transportation. You need a USDOT number if your company transports people or goods within the United States and goes across state lines, stays within one state, or even goes from one state to another country.
Requirements for a USDOT Number
Do you need to own a business to get a USDOT number? No, you don’t. You can get your DOT Number as an individual under a sole proprietorship or a DBA. But if you want, you can create a business entity like an LLC or Corporation.
When applying for a USDOT number, you’ll need the following information:
- Your company’s Employer Identification Number (EIN) or Tax Identification Number (if you have one)
- Names and titles of your company’s officers
- Your name or company name
- Your business address
- Company phone number, email address, and fax number
- Your Social Security number or the company’s IRS tax ID
What To Expect After Applying
During the application process, you’ll also need to say what kind of business you’re running, like if you’re transporting things for hire, exempt for hire, privately, or for government purposes.
You’ll also need to specify the type of cargo you’re carrying and if it includes hazardous materials. We can help you organize all this information in a Driver Qualification File.
It is important to understand that each driver will need to have compliance requirements met in order to drive legally under this new number. This includes all owner-operators. These requirements include but are not limited to: Drug & Alcohol Testing, Driver Qualification Files, BOC-3, UCR, etc. Applicable regulations will be discussed during the application process.
After you get your USDOT number, you might consider applying for a Motor Carrier (MC) number as well.
The MC application has a non-refundable fee!
If you make a mistake on the application, you’ll lose time and money. Fixing mistakes can take 1-2 months on average. These small mistakes can be even more troublesome than the original application. To correct them, you’ll need to request a PIN and follow other guidelines to get your operations back on track. At U.S Carrier Registration Plan we manage all the details and can keep you from making costly mistakes. We also offer privacy protection as an option, to avoid solicitation from third-party entities while operating under your new active USDOT number.