After you’ve gotten acquainted with the important role of the freight broker, and what you need to get started in terms of education, it’s time to delve into the legal side of how to become a freight broker.
Before you start operating in the field, you need to get a freight broker license from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). The licensing is also referred to as obtaining your Motor Carrier Operating Authority (MC authority).
Your first step in getting licensed is to get a USDOT number, which is required on the application form. Then you can start the registration process on FMCSA’s website. Along with filling in the freight broker application form, OP-1, you have to also pay the one-time application fee of $300. You can find further instructions for filling in OP-1. The processing time is between four and six weeks.
Once your application has been approved, the FMCSA will send you your MC number by mail.
The MC number, however, does not mean you can start business yet. When it’s issued, it gets posted on the Register page of the FMCSA. Within 10 days, anybody who finds a problem with your registration can protest against it. After this period, you are granted the MC authority.
Starting your own freight business means a lot of paperwork and dealing with one government agency after another. Instead of stressing out over whether or not you’re taking the right steps, let the experts handle it.