Company Compliance Checklist for US motor carriers

Everything that keeps the company itself legal to operate, on two pages: 15 company items with proof to keep and typical deadlines, a 10-minute public-record check, a month-by-month calendar and the "new truck rule".

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What's inside

1. Company documents

USDOT, operating authority, BOC-3, insurance filing (BMC-91/91X), units on policy, MCS-150, UCR, IRP, IFTA license and return, Form 2290, state highway taxes, California, drug and alcohol program, Clearinghouse account.

2. The 10-minute check

What SAFER, Licensing & Insurance, SMS and UCR show about the company, minute by minute.

3. Year-at-a-glance calendar

IFTA quarters, 2290 season, UCR, decals and renewals by month.

New truck rule

Seven things every new or replacement truck needs before it runs.

Sample items

Insurance filing: federal minimum BIPD $750,000 for general freight, 10,001 lbs+
MCS-150 update every 2 years (month = last digit of USDOT)
UCR: opens around Oct 1, pay before Jan 1
IFTA quarterly return: Apr 30, Jul 31, Oct 31, Jan 31
Form 2290: Aug 31 for trucks in use in July; keep the stamped Schedule 1
State taxes: NY HUT, KYU, NM WDT, Oregon weight-mile, CT HUT

How to use it

Run it on your first day at a new carrier.
Write your company's own dates in the "Your date" column.
Repeat the 10-minute check every month.
Turn every problem you find into an action with an owner and a deadline.

Who it's for

Safety and compliance managers
Office managers at small carriers
Anyone starting at a new carrier
Owner-operators with their own authority

Questions

How often must the MCS-150 be updated?

Every 2 years. The month comes from the last digit of the USDOT number and the year (odd or even) from the next-to-last digit. Also update it whenever company data changes.

What is the federal minimum insurance for general freight?

$750,000 in bodily injury and property damage liability for general freight carriers operating vehicles of 10,001 lbs or more. Many brokers and shippers require more.

When is the IFTA quarterly return due?

April 30, July 31, October 31 and January 31. Mileage and fuel records are kept 4 years.

Educational resource, not legal advice. Confirm every item in the current 49 CFR (ecfr.gov) and with FMCSA before acting.

Want to understand every item, not just tick it?

The Safety & Compliance course explains US trucking safety step by step in 61 lessons: company compliance, hiring and DQ files, drug and alcohol, units, SMS scores, inspections, hours of service and FMCSA audits. English, Romanian and Russian, with an AI assistant in every lesson.

The full Safety Compliance Toolkit is included free.

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