Simplex Group Florida

Florida is a beautiful state where tasty fruit grows, and many useful products are made. If you are opening a trucking company, Florida businesses will rely on you to get their products where they are going in a timely fashion.

Safety and compliance are essential to a trucking company’s success, and Simplex Group wants to help your company succeed. When you trust us for your compliance needs, we will help you every step of the way. No other trucking compliance company can do this. We will help you with registration, hiring drivers, and daily compliance with government regulations.

The Department of Transportation oversees the rules and regulations for America’s highways and byways. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration is the agency within that department that regulates the trucking industry.

The FMCSA sets rigorous standards for trucking companies in the United States. If you do not comply with them, you may face suspension of operations and heavy fines. Trucking compliance is extremely detailed and requires keeping meticulous records and filling out forms and applications without making any mistakes. 

Trucking compliance is a full-time job, so there is no way a small trucking company owner would ever have time to run their business and deal with compliance. Fortunately, Simplex Group can help you with all of your compliance needs.

One of the first things you will have to do when you open a trucking company is to obtain a USDOT number. According to federal law, a trucking company must have a USDOT for trucks traveling across state lines that weigh 10,001 pounds or more. You must also obtain a USDOT number if you carry hazardous material in a quantity that would require placarding.

The state of Florida requires a USDOT number whether or not you travel across state lines. It is one of forty states in America that require a DOT number, even if you are only an intrastate operator. 

The form you will fill out to get a DOT number can be rather complex; if you make a mistake, you may have to start all over again. 

Simplex Group has years of experience completing all the forms necessary for the trucking industry. We will make sure to get it right the first time.

If you own a new trucking business, the FMCSA will give you a new entrant audit within the first 12 months of your operations. If you fail this audit, the FMCSA may revoke your registration. Although you can appeal a failed audit, it is always a good idea to do everything in your power to pass your audit the first time.

When you partner with Simplex Group, you will pass your new entrant audit with flying colors. We ensure that every record is up to date and all of your information is correct. We know how hard you have worked to build your company, and we want to make sure it thrives.

A trucking company must keep very strict records on all of its drivers. When you first hire someone, you must check their driving license record in every state they have lived in for the last three years. If they have any license suspensions or revocations, you will not be able to hire them.

You will have to verify employment on all of the jobs that they have listed on their application and keep a record of that verification. You must make sure that they have a current commercial driver’s license and that they are over 21 years old if they are going to cross state lines.

We will keep up-to-date electronic records of driver’s records, notify you of any missing information, and make sure that information is complete before you have an audit. Doing background checks on drivers can be very time-consuming, and you have to worry about making your clients happy and making sure their products get where they are going. When we handle compliance for you, you will have much more time to do your job.

Carefully recording your driver’s hours of service is very important. For one thing, it is how you determine how much you should pay them. For another, The FMCSA has strict rules about how many hours a driver can work. They can only spend 11 hours consecutively on the road and must have a 10-hour break in between shifts. They must sleep for at least 7 hours in their berth if they are staying in the truck for the night.

You must keep strict records of a trucker’s hours. If an accident happens and your driver has been on the road for over 11 hours, your insurance may refuse to pay for the accident. You may also face strict penalties from the FMCSA. An accident caused by an overworked driver can destroy a company’s reputation.

Your drivers must inspect their vehicles before and after every trip, and you must have an electronic record of these inspections. If they send a truck to be repaired, you must also have a record of what the mechanic did. We will make sure that every inspection and repair is recorded properly.

A trucker in Florida must be fully covered for anything that may come their way. You will need liability coverage in case one of your drivers causes an accident and cargo insurance in case some products are damaged or stolen along the way. We can assist you with selecting the perfect insurance package. 

You will need general liability insurance in case someone injures themselves at your headquarters. You will need bobtail insurance, so your drivers are protected if they have an off-duty accident. We will work hard to find you an affordable insurance package that covers the necessities.

Truckers have a lot of taxes to pay and the forms you have to fill out can be rather complex. We work with tax preparers who have years of experience in truck tax preparation. They will make sure your taxes are paid on time and that you get all of the deductions you deserve.

Figuring out a loading and unloading strategy is very important to a trucking company’s success. You must adhere to safety regulations, but you must also maximize the space you are working with and take the route and the drop-off times into consideration. Our expert freight planners will make sure your cargo is loaded safely and that you are not wasting space or time.

If you are having trouble keeping up with your expenses, truck factoring is a temporary solution to the problem. Truck factoring companies simply buy invoices from trucking companies at a reduced price. You will have your money right away. We are not a factoring company, but we work with ORT Capitol Services, one of the most reputable companies in the industry.

The average trucking company is going to need several permits to operate. You will need an International Fuel Tax Agreement number and you will need an international Registration plan number. There are specific states that require permits for semi-trucks that travel through the state. We will make sure you have all the permits you need to get where you are going.

Everyone could stand to save a little money. When you use our services, we consider ourselves a part of your team. Our fuel card will give you discounts on food and fuel across the land. 

Simplex Group has been helping small companies stay compliant for over 20 years. We want to help your company succeed, so give us a call today.