Classic trucking movies from the 70s, like Convoy, staring Kris Kristofferson, pictured above, may be all fun and games, but the reality of starting a successful trucking business is that you have to dot your i's and cross your t's and safety always comes first!

Whether you�re looking to start your own company, or you just want to be more informed when choosing a trucking company to work with, a great place to start building your knowledge base is with the basic forms and licenses every trucking company in the United States must apply for and acquire.

Here are the essentials:

1. FMCSA Number & Registration FMCSA stands for Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, and they mean business. After you apply for your MC number, which will forever be linked to your company�s safety and regulation compliance record, as well as information about what you�re allowed to haul. After you apply, you might have to wait a little while to approved, as your application will be put under the microscope by the FMCSA before they give you the green light.

2. Unified Carrier Registration (UCR) is essentially verification by your company�s home state that you are insured. You�ll need to apply with your commercial license number and the number issued to you by FMCSA.

3. The BOC-3 Form is yet another form you file with FMCSA. In fact, you may have to file multiple BOC-3 Forms, as its important to file one per state you carry through. The BOC-3 names a person in each state who will receive any complaints or disputes your trucks or employees may be involved with in a given state. This could be a point person employed by your company to communicate with an attorney or an attorney themselves.

4. A Standard Carrier Alpha Code is acquired through the National Motor Freight Traffic Association, and its for very special cargo. You�ll want to apply for one of these codes if your carrying government, military, or international goods.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, but it gives you a taste of everything you need to know and stay on top of if you want to make it in the trucking world! When you're ready to go, be sure to keep those wheels spinning with Ruddy Express's dispatch service.

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