Just got your MC authority? Here's exactly what to set up in the first 90 days.
Quick answer: confirm insurance and BOC-3 are on file, pay UCR, join a drug & alcohol consortium, build a driver qualification file for every driver (including you), set up an ELD, mark your truck, and keep audit-ready records. FMCSA watches new carriers for 18 months and generally audits within the first 12.
The New Authority: First 90 Days kit turns all of that into a step-by-step plan, with every rule cited to 49 CFR or the official agency source.
$24
Buy on Gumroad, $24Buy on EtsyInstant digital download: 2 PDFs + 1 Excel workbook. Or start with the free First 30 Days Checklist.
What's inside
19-page guide (PDF)
Insurance filings, BOC-3, MCS-150, UCR, IFTA/IRP, Form 2290, drug & alcohol program, DQ files, HOS/ELD, maintenance, and full safety-audit prep.
90-day checklist + 12-month calendar (PDF)
Before-the-first-load must-haves, day-by-day tasks for Days 1–14, week-by-week through Week 13, and a mock audit sheet.
Compliance workbook (Excel)
12 tabs: deadline calendar, DQ file tracker, vehicles and maintenance, IFTA trip and fuel logs, expenses and cost per mile, accident register.
Who it's for
Owner-operators and small fleets with newly granted FMCSA authority: U.S. for-hire interstate carriers of general (non-hazmat) freight. Hazmat, passenger, household goods and intrastate-only carriers have extra rules the kit flags but doesn't fully cover.
Free guides
- What to Do After Getting Your MC Authority: The First 90 Days Checklist
- New Entrant Safety Audit Checklist (2026): The 16 Automatic-Failure Items and What to Have Ready
- UCR Registration: Due Date, 2026 and 2027 Fees, and What New Carriers Need to Know
- What Is a BOC-3? Process Agents Explained for New Carriers
- Insurance Requirements for New Trucking Authority: Federal Minimums, Filings and Cancellation Rules
Content checked against eCFR Title 49 and FMCSA pages on October 20, 2026. See sources.