Free checklist for owner-operators
New MC:Your first 90 days.
A plain-English checklist for your first three months under your own authority: what to confirm, what to file, and what records to keep ready. Every rule is linked to FMCSA or the federal regulations.
- Confirm your authority is granted and active, and what to do if the paperwork is late
- Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse, random testing and the pre-employment test
- Records the new entrant safety audit looks at, plus FMCSA's automatic-failure list
- How to check a broker on FMCSA before every load
- Biennial MCS-150 update, annual inspection and medical card dates
5-page PDF · Sources listed at the end · General information, not legal advice
What's inside
Three phases, one checklist
Days 1–30
Authority status, process agent (BOC-3), insurance filing, Clearinghouse and testing, broker packet.
Days 31–60
Hours-of-service records, annual inspection proof, out-of-service repairs, driver file and broker checks.
Days 61–90
Audit self-check, Clearinghouse annual query, biennial update and flatbed securement basics.
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New to the desk? Read the 30-day guide