What You Need to Know to File Your BOC-3

All the hustle and bustle that goes along with with your year-end renewals and 4th quarter IFTA returns has finally come and gone, but what’s next? Well, based on our phone conversations, for many of you it seems that you’re looking to get your BOC-3 filings taken care of.

And if you are, you’ve probably figured out the hard way that BOC-3 is no joke. But luckily for you, that’s what we’re here for—so as usual, keep reading, and we’ll go in detail about what exactly BOC-3 filing is and how you can get yours done today!

BOC-3 Filing

BOC stands for blanket of coverage, and is typically filed after you receive your MC# in order to obtain your interstate operating authority. The filing is submitted to the FMCSA, and is used to designate process agents in your state to serve as your legal representative. This process agent can then accept court papers and legal documents on behalf of your business.

How do I file my BOC-3?

There are a couple of different options for this, but don’t worry, we’ll go over both.

Option one is you file it yourself. To do this, first, you’ll need the contact information for an agent in your state, as well as their consent. And keep in mind, the agent has to reside in the state in which they are designated, and it also is a big help if they are a lawyer. But do you really want to deal with all that? Of course not. So let's get on to option two.

The second option is to have a processing agent file for you, but you’ll need to exercise caution when choosing one. Because no matter who your agent is, they need to be registered with the FMCSA as a BOC-3 blanket agent. What is a BOC-3 blanket agent? Great question, and glad you asked. You become a BOC-3 blanket agent once you have already leased the services of an agent in every state—quite a tall task to complete.

Now you’re probably wondering, “How would I go about finding one of these agents to do it for me?” Well look no further, because we’re BOC-3 certified! And that blanket agent thing? Yeah, we’ve got that covered too. So give us a call at 803.386.0320 and we can get your BOC-3 registration done in five minutes or less. And if you need your MC# we do that too, so you can get both done at the same time! Yeah, we’re all about convenience here at TSNAmerica—let us make your life a little bit easier today.

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Interstate vs Intrastate Operating Authority: What's the Difference?

It never fails; every year around this time (and all the time, really) we get question after question asking, "What's the difference between intrastate and interstate authority?" Well friend, that’s a great question, and also probably the reason you’re reading this. So what exactly is the difference between the two?

Well, interstate, just like the term used to describe our cross-country roadways, means “existing or carried on between state lines.” So as you can piece together based on the definition, it means being able to drive your truck and haul loads across state lines. While intrastate, with the root word “intra,” means within; so it refers only to mileage driven within a particular state. Simple enough, right?

But if you are going to be driving across the country, or at least in multiple states (as most truckers do) then you’ll need to make sure the following items are taken care of prior to crossing state lines in your rig.

Apply for a USDOT#

Your USDOT# is issued by the FMCSA, and is used for vehicles that travel interstate, either to haul cargo or to transport passengers. You must have one if:

• Your commercial vehicle weighs 10,001 pounds or more,
• Transports 8 passengers or more for compensation, or 15 or more without comp.,
• Transports Hazardous Materials, or 
• If you travel in a state that requires a DOT#. 

Please note: This process will be done using the URS system for new applicants, and previous applicants will register using the new system as well starting on September 30, 2016. If you have any questions about the new URS system, take a look at our blog covering the most common questions about URS registration.

Apply for an MC#

Your MC# is what actually serves as your interstate authority, which gives you the ability to legally travel and haul loads between states. So yeah, it’s pretty important. But not so fast—don’t think that once you’ve got this you’re in the clear! You’ll still need to obtain another type of authority from the FMCSA depending on what type of business you have. If you’re unsure what type is right for you, just give us a call!

Register for UCR

UCR is another necessity for truckers traveling interstate, as the agreement requires all commercial vehicles travelling interstate and weighing at least 10,001 pounds to register for UCR annually. You’ll also have to pay the required fees based on the total number of vehicles you need to register.

Register for IRP

This is for vehicles that travel across multiple jurisdictions in the United States or in Canada and that weigh at least 26,000 pounds and/or have three or more axles. The fees for this particular registration depend on the mileage driven in each jurisdiction, and those fees are paid to the base jurisdiction where you are registered. It is then your base jurisdiction’s responsibility to apportion the funds to the correct jurisdictions based on your mileage.

Apply for an IFTA License and Decals

If you operate in multiple jurisdictions, you will have to apply for your IFTA license and decals with your base jurisdiction. Your fuel use and mileage traveled in each participating jurisdiction must be recorded, and then that information must be filed with your base jurisdiction.

Sound a little confusing? Well, we’re not going to lie, it most certainly is. But luckily for you, we can help you take care of every item on this list, and IFTA services are our specialty! So if you need someone to take the IFTA-filing burden off your plate this quarter, just give us a call and we’ll show you just how easy it really is!

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Update your MCS-150 Now

The following notice was posted on the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Site regarding updating your MCS-150.  See the full notice here.

Update your MCS-150 now with 2011 VMT/PU information or shortly after January 1, 2013 with your 2012 data to ensure that FMCSA is using the most accurate data available to calculate your percentiles. Visit https://li-public.fmcsa.dot.gov/LIVIEW/PKG_REGISTRATION.prc_option to update your MCS-150 information. Under the “Existing Registration Updates” section, choose the first option - “I need to update my USDOT number registration information or file my biennial update.”

PLEASE NOTE: The SMS website is updated monthly, so your MCS-150 changes will not be reflected on that site until the next monthly update. You can find the schedule of SMS updates at http://ai.fmcsa.dot.gov/sms. MCS-150 updates show up faster on SAFER and the FMCSA Portal websites.

If you have not already done so, you will want to update your MCS-150 or you can contact Truck Services of North America and we can take care of the update for you. TSNA takes the paperwork out of your way. For more details contact us at TSNAmerica.com or call 803.386.0320.

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