Being a trucker in California can be confusing. California's trucking regulations are a dense bramble of ever-changing and unclear laws. And new laws like the worker classification law AB5 mean that California truckers always need to be on their toes to maintain compliance with the law. At DOT Operating Authority, we've worked with California trucking companies for over a decade to help them get the permits they need. Here are…

Last week, the FMCSA released a new electronic ID proposal for public comment. The proposal is for a wireless system that would give every interstate commercial motor vehicle (CMV) a unique electronic ID number. In doing so, police and FMCSA inspection agents would have the power to more quickly access records about specific vehicles. The CVSA requested that the FMCSA consider this plan all the way back in 2015. Though…

If you're an interstate trucker, the chances are good that you would benefit from getting IRP and IFTA registration. From the trucker's perspective, they are quite similar. After all, if you need one, you almost always need the other. However, you may not understand the distinction between these two critical filings. Read on to learn about the distinctions between IRP and IFTA and why you should get both. IRP shares…

Truckers have a lot to keep track of. Every state, city, and even specific roads have different rules and regulations that truckers have to be aware of to achieve that most elusive thing: compliance. Weight-distance taxes are a great example of why it's so hard to remain in compliance. To learn more about these taxes, we asked our experts what they are and which jurisdictions have them. What is a…

New interstate carriers have a lot to think about and hoops to jump through. It can be intimidating, even for experienced truckers, to navigate the regulations surrounding interstate operators. Luckily for you, you're in the right place! DOT Operating Authority has helped people like you get everything they need to transport interstate goods legally. Here's what you'll need to be an interstate carrier: A USDOT Number Hopefully, we don't have…

Have you ever had something so precious just stolen from you, that it kinda ruined your whole world? If only for a little while? That type of thing happens all the time in the trucking industry. Your girlfriend breaks your heart. A cheerful stray dog at a truck stop goes missing. A fellow owner-operator decides to retire early because they want to explore Europe. All at once, everything, everywhere kinda…

Starting as early as January 1st, 2023, there's an estimation of about 76,000 owners, owning or operating trucks in California will needing to fess up to using a pre-2010 emissions-spec engine. Why is this the case? Because outdated tech cannot be useful when you're under the expectation of transporting loads and goods across the country between multiple locations. This is a tale as old as a decade. The California Air…

Don't you hate it when your tires blowout on the freeway? It's such a drag. But just imagine how much more difficult it must be when your truck isn't manual! Autonomous trucks may be the future, but it's not a very positive future if they can't handle the bare necessities of auto repair. Like fixing a blown-out tire. What's stopping autonomous trucks from overcoming humans? For starters, the statistics. According…

After two years off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, driving competitions are back on the menu. The National Truck Driving and Step Van Driving Championships will be held from August 16–20 in Indianapolis, IN. The state level competitions are held throughout the first and second quarters of the year; only the winners of these advance to the national championship. The NTDC dates back to 1937 and aims to encourage driver…

In case you haven't noticed, Amazon, Jeff Bezos' billion-dollar-making Internet marketplace, has for themselves made a proper name in the world of logistics. In specific, this has to do with the E-Commerce Giant's means of giving the industry a new set of rules. But will the "Amazon Effect" prove too heavy for long-haul trucking to bear? Who's to say? As more warehouses and distribution centers come into existence, over-the-road divisions…