The registrations a new for-hire carrier needs, the federal safety rules that shape daily operations, how to know your cost per mile, how drivers are paid and the habits that keep a small fleet running.
Requirements depend on what you haul, where and for whom. A typical for-hire carrier operating across state lines needs:
Operations checklist complete.
Federal rules also set minimum insurance levels for for-hire carriers, which vary by cargo type. Brokers and shippers often require more.
New carriers enter FMCSA’s new entrant safety monitoring program and should expect a safety audit, typically within the first year. The audit reviews driver qualification, drug and alcohol testing, hours of service, vehicle maintenance and accident records. Failing to have basic systems in place can lead to revocation of your registration. Set up these systems before your first load, not after.
| Area | What it involves |
|---|---|
| Driver qualification | CDL where required, medical certificate, driving record checks, application and road test or equivalent, kept in a driver qualification file |
| Drug and alcohol testing | Pre-employment, random, post-accident, reasonable suspicion and return-to-duty testing for CDL drivers; queries in the FMCSA Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse |
| Hours of service | Limits on driving and on-duty time, generally recorded with electronic logging devices |
| Vehicle maintenance | Systematic inspection, repair and maintenance, driver vehicle inspection reports and annual inspections |
| Accident register | Records of reportable crashes |
Our driver vehicle inspection report, DOT inspection checklist and driver assessment form templates help organize these records.
For property-carrying drivers, the core federal hours of service limits generally include: up to 11 hours of driving after 10 consecutive hours off duty, no driving after the 14th hour since coming on duty, a 30-minute break after 8 cumulative hours of driving, and 60 hours in 7 days or 70 hours in 8 days, which can be reset with 34 consecutive hours off. There are exceptions, such as for short-haul operations and adverse driving conditions. Dispatch must plan loads within these limits; never pressure drivers to exceed them. See our dispatcher training guide.
Profitable carriers know exactly what each mile costs and refuse loads that do not cover it. Add up fixed costs (truck and trailer payments, insurance, permits, office and software) and variable costs (fuel, maintenance and tires, driver pay, tolls) for a period, then divide by miles driven, including empty miles.
| Cost | Monthly (illustrative) |
|---|---|
| Truck and trailer payments | $3,200 |
| Insurance | $1,400 |
| Permits, registrations and software | $400 |
| Fuel | $7,000 |
| Maintenance and tires | $1,500 |
| Driver pay and payroll taxes | $7,500 |
| Total | $21,000 |
| Miles driven (including empty) | 10,000 |
| Cost per mile | $2.10 |
These figures are for illustration only; your costs will differ. The point is the method: if a load pays less per mile than your cost, including the empty miles to reach it, it loses money.
Drivers are commonly paid per mile, by percentage of load revenue, by the hour or by a combination. Several rules matter:
Beyond the daily driving limits, three FMCSA rules shape how a small fleet plans:
Put the annual Clearinghouse query on the same calendar as insurance renewals and IFTA filings. It is easy to remember at hiring and easy to forget a year later, and an auditor will ask for it.
Driver turnover is one of the biggest costs in trucking: recruiting, qualification, testing and lost loads while a truck sits empty. Drivers stay where pay is accurate and on time, home time is predictable and respected, equipment is well maintained and dispatchers communicate honestly. See how to reduce employee turnover for general retention tactics.
Many trucking companies employ mechanics, warehouse staff, dispatchers and office workers alongside drivers. These employees are usually subject to normal overtime rules and need accurate time records. EZTime records clock-ins by app, NFC tag or kiosk, schedules shifts, stores documents such as licenses with expiry reminders and keeps vehicle accident reports and checklists digital. See EZTime for trucking and transportation.
Typically a USDOT number, operating authority for for-hire interstate carriers, a BOC-3 process agent filing, UCR registration, required insurance, IRP and IFTA where applicable, Heavy Vehicle Use Tax filing for qualifying vehicles, a drug and alcohol testing program and driver qualification files.
Many interstate drivers subject to DOT jurisdiction are exempt from federal overtime under the Motor Carrier Act exemption, but there are limits, including a small vehicle exception, and state law may differ. Minimum wage requirements generally still apply.
Add all fixed and variable costs for a period, including truck payments, insurance, fuel, maintenance, driver pay and permits, then divide by total miles driven, including empty miles.
A monitoring period for new motor carriers that includes a safety audit, typically in the first year, reviewing driver qualification, drug and alcohol testing, hours of service, maintenance and accident records.
For property-carrying drivers, generally 11 hours of driving after 10 hours off, a 14-hour on-duty window, a 30-minute break after 8 hours of driving and 60/70-hour limits over 7/8 days, with exceptions. Check current FMCSA rules.
Employee drivers give you control over schedules and equipment but bring payroll and benefit costs. Owner-operators bring their own trucks and flexibility, but misclassifying someone who works like an employee as a contractor creates legal risk. The deciding factor is how much control you have over the work, not the label in the contract.
Most small carriers start with load boards and freight brokers, then work to build direct relationships with shippers, which usually pay better and more consistently. A good on-time record and quick communication are what turn one-off loads into regular lanes.
As soon as you have hourly staff, two jobs take more time than most owners expect: recording hours accurately and building a schedule everyone can see. Under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), employers must keep accurate records of hours worked and pay non-exempt employees overtime for hours over 40 in a workweek, and some states add daily overtime or meal-break rules. This is general information, not legal advice.
EZTime covers all three with a time clock app, employee scheduling and payroll-ready exports, from $2 per employee per month. See pricing and start a 14-day trial.
Drivers log hours in their ELD. For warehouse, yard and office staff, EZTime tracks clock-ins, breaks and overtime in one place.