hey guys and gals, just got back to this forum since 06, i been leased to the same big outfit since then, but i think is time to do this in my own, since i live here in Salinas CA there is this outfit that has a dedicated runs from Salinas to Yuma, thinking on going with them, but i have to get my own authority, plates, permits an such, how much am i looking just to start independent again? thanks in advance, and thanks to GMAN for always giving out great advices, wow GMAN you had been all this time uh? lol

Welcome back to the forum, huzesa. I will be glad to give you an estimate, but you will need to call some insurance companies for actual rates. It seems that most start ups are paying somewhere between $6,000-12,000/year for insurance. A number of factors come into effect, but I would guess your rate would probably be around $8,000. Your experience, where you base, where you run, type of equipment all factor into the rates. Most everyone has seen a rise in rates the last couple of years. Most brokers require $1 million auto liability and $100,000 cargo. It is up to you as to whether you want to insure your equipment. Rates vary from about 2 1/2-5% of the stated value. I find most fall in the 3 1/2-4 1/2% of the stated value. If you run under your own authority you should not need bobtail insurance. If you pull another companies trailers, they may require you to purchase cartage insurance. That covers their trailers you pull. I have not had a need to check on that type of insurance in some time. Check your contract over carefully before signing on the dotted line. Authority costs $300. If you live in California and plan on pulling any intrastate freight, you may want to get California intrastate authority. I think that runs about $150. Base plate costs can vary from state to state. Estimated miles are used the first year. If you plate for 48 states you are probably looking at $1,500-2,200. If you only want to plate for a few states you may spend a little less. Most states won't give you a cost until they put the information into their computer. You will need a DOT number. You can apply when you do your application for interstate authority. There is no charge for the dot number. You will also need an IFTA account. There should not be a charge for the IFTA, but I have a friend who has to purchase his stickers in his state. I have never had to pay for the IFTA stickers in my state. There is no charge to set your account up. If you plan on running in New Mexico you will need a weight distance account with them. I have not been running out there for a while, but I think they charge about $2/year per truck. It may be a little more, but it isn't over $10. You will need to file quarterly reports along with your IFTA. Another cost is your UCR. This is the Unified Carrier Registration. For 1 or 2 trucks the cost is $76. It must be paid annually. These costs are not exact, but should be in the ballpark.

don't forget your BOC-3. I used OOIDA to file mine since I am a member. They will file it for free for you. Just a matter of calling them and telling them you want them to fill as your process agent and give them your MC #.

Individual states you'll need to file with: OR, NY, KY, NM and AR.