Simplex Group California

Owning a trucking company in the state of California can be very lucrative and rewarding. But, it is also stressful, time-consuming, and requires a great deal of attention to detail. There are many safety laws with which you must comply when you own a trucking company in the United States, and California also has its own rules.

Simplex Group can take care of trucking compliance for you so you can go about the business of running your company. We have 20 years of experience in the trucking industry and provide full-service assistance to small trucking companies. We are a company like no other in that we handle compliance, insurance, factoring, and even trip planning.

When you first get started in the trucking industry, you might read all of the rules and regulations and wonder what you have gotten yourself into. Truckers provide an essential service to the public; however, trucks can damage the roads simply because of their great weight. When they have an accident, it can result in injury and death and cause a problem for the highway department of the state they are driving through and the city where the accident occurs.

Because of the intense repercussions a truck accident can have, trucking is a highly regulated industry. The Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration is the agency within the Department of Transportation that regulates the trucking industry. They issue Department of Transportation numbers to independent truckers and trucking companies. The FMCSA also issues permits and performs roadside inspections and audits of truckers and trucking companies.

Several types of vehicles will require a DOT number if they cross state lines in the course of business. You will not be able to operate legally until you have a USDOT number and the required amount of insurance. 

You must have a DOT number if your trucks have a gross vehicle weight or gross combination weight of 10,001 pounds or higher. If you transport hazardous material of a type or quantity that requires placarding, you will also need a DOT number.

Some states require you to have a USDOT number even if you have no intention of crossing state lines: California is one of those states.

Trucking companies register for a DOT number through the Unified Registration System. Once you have determined that you need a DOT number, there are several steps you must take.  

When you register for your DOT number, you will need to provide your company name and address. You will be asked how many vehicles your company operates, the type of vehicles you operate, and the operation, cargo, and hazmat classification of your company. You will also have to know the licensure status of your drivers and be expected to provide ownership and leasing information on your trucks. 

You must register as a business entity with the state and may register yourself as a partnership, an LLC, or a corporation. You must fill out an MCS-150 form to get a DOT number, but fortunately, there is no fee for this filing.

The form can be complicated for a first-time user, and if you miss even one step you may have to reapply. Simplex Group will make sure that everything goes perfectly the first time. When you hire us, we consider ourselves a partner in your business. We offer an authority package that includes a DOT number and any necessary motor carrier numbers.

In some cases, you will also need a Motor Carrier Number to operate legally. If you transport commodities regulated by the federal government and owned by others or arrange for their transport, you will need an MC number.

You may need to have several MC numbers depending on the type of cargo that you carry. If you transport household goods across state lines, you will need a different type of MC number than you would if you transported federally regulated cargo on its way to a retail store or warehouse. Some MC numbers require proof of cargo insurance, and others do not.

To operate a trucking company, you will need many different types of insurance. To protect itself a company should have the following:

• Liability insurance
• Cargo insurance
• General liability insurance
• Physical damage insurance
• Bobtail insurance

Simplex Group can help you obtain every type of insurance you will need.

The FMCSA has many steps a trucking company must follow to be safe and compliant. They will do a new entrant audit on you within the first month of your operations and expect you to keep records of everything you do.

In any profession, you want to perform background checks and call references when you are hiring a new employee. However, in the trucking industry, it’s required by law. You must contact all of their previous employers and check their driving records in every state they’ve lived in for the last ten years. They should not have a suspended license in any of those states.

Any driver that you hire must have a commercial driver’s license and must be over 21 if they are going to cross state lines. If they have had any corrective actions against them, you must keep a record of that as well.

Your drivers must inspect their trucks every day before driving them and perform inspections after they are done driving their trucks. You must keep a record of these inspections and any repairs that are done as a result of these inspections. 

Simplex Group can help you keep stellar records of everything. With over two decades in the trucking industry, we understand exactly what the FMCSA looks for and we will make sure you are compliant.

One of the most important things drivers must do is record their hours. No driver can be on the road longer than 11 consecutive hours. You will face huge fines if a driver is caught working beyond this amount of time.

They must spend a minimum of seven hours in their sleeper berth when they are on the road and spend at least ten hours completely off duty. Violations of these rules can result in a suspension of operations.

Simplex Group will make sure that your hours are recorded down to the minute. We know how hard you have worked to build your business, and we want it to be successful.

Starting any business is a lot of hard work. You have to keep up with your bills even when your clients do not keep up with theirs. Simplex works with a  truck factoring company that will buy your invoices for a slightly reduced price. You will have the money you need to pay your bills in just a few short days.

The way a truck is loaded can mean the difference between a profitable trip and an unprofitable trip. Our freight planners can look at the space in your trucks and create a loading strategy that will maximize your space. You will also be able to load and unload things very quickly.

Truckers pay plenty of taxes in the United States, but they are also entitled to many deductions. The tax preparers Simplex Group works with will never miss the opportunity to save you money. They will know just what you are required to pay and they know their deductions.

Any trucking company is going to need multiple permits to operate. You will need a permit to drive on the highways and you will need a permit to pay your fuel taxes. Some individual states, such as New York and New Mexico, require additional permits to travel on their roads. We will make sure that you have all the necessary permits for each trip. If you are missing a permit, it can cause you to get fined.

When you use our services, you will get a fuel card that will save you money on gas on every one of your trips. It also comes with roadside assistance if you have an emergency. 

We can help you with every area of compliance, so give us a call today.