New trucking company startup cost calculator

Official government fees are filled in for you from the published 2026 schedules. Everything that depends on a quote (insurance, truck, permits) is left blank on purpose: we'd rather you enter your real numbers than trust a made-up average.

Official fees (auto-calculated)

Authority types$300 each. Most carriers need one (motor carrier of property). FMCSA: Get an MC number / authority to operate

Power units (trucks)Sets your UCR bracket. Federal Register: UCR fees for 2027 (doc 2026-17893)

UCR registration year2027 registration opened Oct 1, 2026

Trucks at 55,000 lb or moreForm 2290 HVUT, full-year amount. IRS: Form 2290 instructions (July 2026–June 2027)

Taxable gross weight (lb)Truck + trailer + max load

Drivers (including you)Clearinghouse full query, $1.25 each. FMCSA: Clearinghouse query costs

Your quotes

Insurance down paymentLiability + cargo + physical damage. Get 2–3 quotes

Truck down payment or first lease payment

Trailer (down payment or rental)

IRP apportioned platesSet by your base state

IFTA license and decalsSet by your base state

State permits (NY HUT, KY KYU, NM, OR, etc.)Only if you run those states

Drug testing consortium + pre-employment test

ELD device and first month

BOC-3 process agent filing

Business setup (LLC, EIN, bank account)

Load board subscription (first month)

Fuel, tolls and food until your first paymentFactoring shortens this gap

Repair and cash reserve

Fees checked Oct 18, 2026. HVUT is prorated if the truck is first used after July; UCR above 100 vehicles has higher brackets than shown here. Not tax advice.

Where these numbers come from

FMCSA operating authority: $300 per authority type, nonrefundable (FMCSA: Get an MC number / authority to operate).
UCR: 2026 $46 / $138 / $276 / $963 and 2027 $55 / $167 / $333 / $1,163 for 0–2 / 3–5 / 6–20 / 21–100 vehicles (Federal Register: UCR fees for 2027 (doc 2026-17893)).
HVUT: $100 at 55,000 lb + $22 per 1,000 lb (or fraction) over 55,000 lb, $550 over 75,000 lb (IRS: Form 2290 instructions (July 2026–June 2027)).
Clearinghouse: $1.25 per query (FMCSA: Clearinghouse query costs).

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