- Know your audit window. FMCSA audits every new carrier within the first 12 months — the New Entrant Safety Audit. Keep everything below where you can produce it in a day.
- Insurance. Keep proof of insurance at the required minimums, current, and make sure your insurer has filed it with FMCSA.
- MCS-150. Update it every two years, and any time your operation changes. It is free to file yourself on the FMCSA website.
- UCR. Register every year at ucr.gov (the national portal). If you run up to two vehicles, the 2026 fee is $46. Anyone charging you much more than that is marking it up.
- Driver file. Keep a file on every driver, including yourself: license copy, application, road test or equivalent. If the vehicle is rated 10,001 lbs or more, add a medical certificate and a copy of the driving record. (Under 10,001 lbs this file is good practice brokers ask for — not a legal requirement.)
- Vehicle file. Keep inspection, repair, and maintenance records for each vehicle. Required at 10,001 lbs and up; good practice below.
- Accident register. Keep a simple log of any DOT-recordable accident. Required at 10,001 lbs and up; good practice below.
- CDL drivers only. Before driving: enroll in a drug and alcohol testing consortium, complete a pre-employment test, and register in the FMCSA Clearinghouse. After that, run your Clearinghouse query every year.
- Hours of service. Know your rules. If you're required to run an ELD, have it installed and know how to transfer your logs.
- Stay current. Keep your operating authority, insurance filings, and process agent (BOC-3) active. Check your status on the FMCSA portal monthly.
- When the audit letter arrives. Don't panic, and don't ignore it. Respond by the deadline and assemble the records above.
- If any of this is behind, fix it before the letter comes, not after.
Not sure where your paperwork stands today? Email dispatch@foragentis.online with the words “check me” and we’ll send back a free readiness check for your company. No signup, no card.