Layover.com: Checking Your Address With FMCSA; Costs and Time to Get Your Own Authority

Checking Your Address With FMCSA; Costs and Time to Get Your Own Authority

I am a Licensed Insurance Agent and retired Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) Investigator with more than 49 years in transportation. For the past 16 years I have been a transportation consultant assisting those who would like to get their own motor carrier or broker authority. Send me your questions and I will use my expertise and knowledge to answer them.

Q	I looked at my record on the FMCSA web site and saw a different "Mail Address" than what my mail address really is. Why is there a different mail address?

A	The different mail address is probably the mail address of the company that helped you with your authority. All of your mail from FMCSA is going to them. Important: Take time now to check your FMCSA information. Go to: http://li-public.fmcsa.dot.gov/LIVIEW/pkg_carrquery.prc_carrlist . Also, check the FMCSA Safer at www.safersys.org . If there is something you want changed, let me know and I will be happy to assist you with any corrections.

Q	I want to get my own authority, but I see prices on the internet as low as $369 and up to $499. What is the difference?

A	Actually, not much. Both charges are about the same. Some companies offer the authority including the filing fee plus a fee to perform the service then they start adding the process agents (BOC-3), UCR, and other things. You really should be more interested in the credentials of the individual that will help you with your authority. I saw one company advertise to get your authority for $150. Of course, this is plus the filing fee, process agents, and UCR, which makes the cost more than what others might charge.

Q	I want to get my own authority, but I want to know how soon I can get started? I see on the internet that I can get started in 22 days, 20 days, and even 15 days. Which is correct?

A	Actually they are the same. It depends on how it is worded. It will be about 22 days from the date you apply before you can get your authority, provided you have your BOC-3 and insurance on file. However, it normally takes two days for your MC number to appear in the register. Then you will get a letter that says you can get started in 20 days providing your BOC-3 and insurance are on file. However, if you want to compute time differently, you can only count weekdays and then you can get started in 15 days providing your BOC-3 and insurance are on file.

Q	I want to add broker authority to my present authority. Should I use the same MC number for both authorities?

A	The FMCSA does not care whether you use the same MC number or a different MC number, however, your insurance company will probably insist that you obtain a different number for the broker authority. In my opinion, the best authority to have for 2007-08 is both the motor carrier and broker authority under separate MC numbers.

Q	I have noticed there are different prices for the Process Agents (BOC-3). The prices range from $30 to several hundred dollars. What is the difference?

A	Whether you pay $30 or several hundred dollars, the service you get will be exactly the same. There is no fee for filing the BOC-3 to the FMCSA so the $30 fee is a fair price to pay for someone to file for the 48 states. Before using any Process Agent service, you might want to ask: Are there annual fees? Are there any charges for name or address changes?

Q	What is the most common mistake that applicants make when they apply for their own authority?

A	Probably the most common mistake made is that individuals applying for their own authority do not know the difference between their "legal name" and their DBA. I guess the most humorous I have found is that their "Legal Name" was Trucking Company and their DBA was their date of birth. However, much of the time the individuals only show their DBA in the Legal Name field and nothing in the DBA field. It sounds like such a small problem but the BOC-3 will probably be filed incorrectly and the insurance company will have difficulty filing the insurance until the corrections are made. This will probably cause the authority to be issued late and, in some cases, the individual will lose the authority because the corrections were not made within the time limits.

Q	Who would you recommend to help with my authority and other matters pertaining to my obtaining the proper authority?
A	I would definitely find out the credentials of the individual. Is the individual a Licensed Transportation Practitioner? Is the individual a Licensed Insurance Agent? Has the individual been in business more than five years? Education and experience go hand-in-hand to provide the best possible service. A good transportation consultant can save you money and get you in business faster.

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Ask Rex...

Rex Evilsizor & Associates specializes in filing motor carrier authorities (both freight and passenger) with the Federal Highway Administration. Rex is a retired ICC investigator (Special Agent) and Licensed Insurance Agent with more than 49 years of transportation experience.

Due to the amount of questions we receive, we are unable to answer all of them individually. We will answer as many as possible in this column.

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Checking Your Address With FMCSA; Costs and Time to Get Your Own Authority