Reference

Trucking authority glossary

The words a new carrier runs into on the way to authority, defined in plain English. Where a federal regulation or an interstate agreement defines a term, we link the defining authority so you can read the rule itself.

33 terms

A

Apportioned plate: A single license plate issued under the IRP that lets a commercial vehicle operate in every member jurisdiction. The registrant pays each jurisdiction a share of the fee based on the miles the fleet travels there.; IRP registration by state→

B

BOC-3: The federal filing that designates a process agent in every state where a carrier or broker operates, so legal papers can be served on the company. FMCSA will not grant or keep active operating authority without a BOC-3 on file.; BOC-3 filing guide→
Base jurisdiction: The single state or province where a carrier registers under IRP and licenses under IFTA, chosen by where the fleet is based and keeps its records. The base jurisdiction collects the fees and taxes and settles them with the other member jurisdictions.; IRP registration by state→
BMC-91: The form an insurer files with FMCSA to prove a motor carrier carries the required public liability (bodily injury and property damage) coverage. It is one of the filings that must be on record before for-hire authority becomes active.; Insurance filings (BMC-91, BMC-34)→
BMC-84 surety bond: The surety bond a property broker or freight forwarder files with FMCSA as its financial responsibility instrument. It guarantees payment to carriers and shippers; a broker may instead file a BMC-85 trust fund for the same amount.; What is a freight broker authority→

C

Cab card: The IRP registration document a carrier keeps in the vehicle, listing the jurisdictions the apportioned plate covers and the registered weight in each. Enforcement officers check it to confirm the vehicle is legally registered to run those states.; IRP registration by state→
CDL: A commercial driver license, required to operate certain heavy or specialized commercial motor vehicles. Federal rules set when a CDL and its endorsements apply based on vehicle weight rating, passenger capacity, and hazardous materials.; CDL vs non-CDL→
Cargo insurance: Coverage that pays for loss of or damage to the freight a carrier is hauling. Federal rules require a cargo filing (Form BMC-34 or BMC-83) only for household goods carriers, though shippers and brokers often require it by contract for other freight.; Insurance filings (BMC-91, BMC-34)→

D

Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse: The FMCSA database of commercial driver drug and alcohol program violations. Employers of CDL drivers must query it before hiring and once a year for current drivers, and report violations to it.; Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse guide→

E

Escort/pilot car: A vehicle that travels ahead of or behind an oversize load to warn traffic and help the driver navigate. States set when escorts are required based on the load’s width, length, or height, and how many are needed.; Oversize permit costs by state→

F

For-hire carrier: A carrier that transports freight belonging to others for payment. For-hire carriers of regulated commodities in interstate commerce need FMCSA operating authority, unlike private carriers hauling their own goods.; How to get your own authority→

G

GVWR: Gross vehicle weight rating, the maximum loaded weight of a single vehicle as specified by its manufacturer. It sets many regulatory thresholds, including when a USDOT number, commercial driver license, or heavy vehicle use tax applies.
GCWR: Gross combination weight rating, the manufacturer-specified maximum loaded weight of a power unit and its trailer combined. It determines which commercial driver license class a driver needs and whether a truck-and-trailer setup crosses federal weight thresholds.; Hotshot trucking→

H

Hotshot trucking: Hauling smaller, often time-sensitive loads with a medium-duty pickup and a gooseneck or flatbed trailer rather than a Class 8 tractor-trailer. Whether it needs operating authority, a CDL, or a USDOT number turns on the rig’s weight rating and whether the freight is for hire and interstate.; Hotshot trucking guide→
HVUT (Form 2290): The heavy vehicle use tax, a federal tax on highway motor vehicles at or above a set taxable gross weight, reported yearly to the IRS on Form 2290. Proof of payment (a stamped Schedule 1) is generally required to register the vehicle with a state.; Form 2290 HVUT guide→
Hazmat endorsement (HME): The commercial driver license endorsement required to haul quantities of hazardous materials that must be placarded. Getting it requires a Transportation Security Administration threat assessment in addition to a knowledge test.; Hazmat trucking authority→

I

IFTA: The International Fuel Tax Agreement, a compact among the lower 48 states and Canadian provinces that lets a carrier report and pay fuel taxes for all member jurisdictions on one quarterly return filed with its base jurisdiction. It applies to qualified motor vehicles used across jurisdiction lines.; IFTA rates by state→
IRP: The International Registration Plan, an agreement among US states and Canadian provinces for registering commercial vehicles that travel in more than one jurisdiction. Registration fees are apportioned by the share of miles a fleet runs in each member jurisdiction.; IRP registration by state→
Intrastate authority: The state-issued permission to operate for hire entirely within one state, with pickup, delivery, and travel all inside its borders. It is separate from federal interstate authority, and the requirements and agency differ by state.; Intrastate authority by state→
Interstate authority: FMCSA operating authority to carry freight for hire that crosses state lines, or that moves within one state as part of a longer interstate journey. It is the federal counterpart to state intrastate authority.; How to get your own authority→

M

MC number: The motor carrier docket number FMCSA assigns to a company that holds interstate for-hire operating authority. It travels with the authority itself, so a carrier can hold a USDOT number without an MC number if it only hauls its own goods or stays intrastate.; MC number guide→
MCS-150: The Motor Carrier Identification Report a company files to obtain a USDOT number and update its record. FMCSA requires it to be refreshed on a fixed biennial schedule tied to the USDOT number, even when nothing has changed.; MCS-150 biennial update→

N

New entrant: A carrier in its first period of interstate operation, placed by FMCSA into an 18-month monitoring program. The carrier must pass a safety audit during this window to keep its operating authority and USDOT registration active.; New entrant safety audit→

O

Operating authority: The federal permission a for-hire carrier or broker needs to transport regulated freight or arrange it across state lines. FMCSA grants it as one or more authority types tied to a docket (MC) number, separate from the USDOT number that identifies the company.; How to get your own authority→
Oversize/overweight permit: A state permit that authorizes a load exceeding legal size or weight limits to travel a specified route. Each state issues its own permit, sets the limits, and may require routing, time-of-day, or escort conditions.; Oversize permit costs by state→

P

Process agent: A person or company a carrier or broker names in each state to receive legal documents on its behalf. Process agents are listed on the BOC-3 filing; many national agents provide blanket coverage for all states at once.; BOC-3 filing guide→
Private carrier: A company that hauls its own property to support its business rather than transporting freight for pay. A private carrier generally needs a USDOT number but not for-hire operating authority.; Operating authority vs USDOT number→
PHMSA: The Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration, the federal agency that writes the Hazardous Materials Regulations governing how hazmat is classified, packaged, marked, and transported. Carriers hauling placardable hazmat register with PHMSA and follow its rules alongside FMCSA safety rules.; Hazmat trucking authority→

S

SCAC: The Standard Carrier Alpha Code, a unique two-to-four-letter identifier for a transportation company used on shipping documents and in electronic data interchange. It is issued by the National Motor Freight Traffic Association, not by FMCSA.
Superload: An oversize or overweight load so large that it exceeds a state’s routine permit thresholds and requires special engineering review and a custom-approved route. Each state defines its own superload dimensions and weights.; Oversize permit costs by state→

U

USDOT number: The unique identifier FMCSA assigns to a company that operates commercial vehicles in interstate commerce, used to track its safety record, inspections, and audits. Many intrastate carriers also need one under their state rules.; Who needs a USDOT number→
UCR: The Unified Carrier Registration program, an annual registration and fee that interstate motor carriers, brokers, freight forwarders, and leasing companies pay through their base state. The fee is set by fleet size bracket and funds state safety programs.; UCR registration guide→

W

Weight-distance tax: A state tax charged per mile traveled in the state, scaled by the vehicle’s weight, that a handful of states levy on top of fuel tax. Carriers running those states register for the account and file periodic mileage reports.; Weight-distance tax states→

Haul Handbook publishes educational information about trucking registration and compliance requirements. This is not legal, financial, or tax advice. Rules, fees, and deadlines change; confirm with the agency before you file or pay.