Natotruckingllc

1) What is a Transportation Broker? A freight broker arranges for the shipment of freight by truck. And a good way to think of us is like a travel agent but we move freight instead of people. Using a broker is giving you more access to trucking companies that you otherwise wouldn't have access to. It's like going to a store or a mall and having multiple different options rather than going to a store where they only have a very small selection. There are hundreds of thousands of trucking companies in this country and most shippers would have a very tough time weeding through finding the right trucking company for their needs. Brokers are perfectly geared to do that, to bring that selection to their customers. Fraud and left are rampant in the transportation industry and a quality broker will help protect you from those types of problems. A broker providing a high level of customer service is excellent at communication. They will communicate with both the shipper and the receiver before the shipment moves to make sure everything is set. They will also communicate with the carrier throughout the shipment to make sure there are no problems; and if something does crop up they can fix it before it turns into a service failure. Transportation brokers invest heavily in technology and the ability to give their customers access to information that otherwise they would not have. And you can leverage this to get information whether it is on-time percentages, the number of shipments you've moved, where they've gone, the amount of money you've spent, to help you make better decisions and control your transportation program. Now that you know what a broker is, please see our video on the top 5 things you should ask when selecting a broker. 

 2 Surety bonds hold business professionals responsible for acting ethically and lawfully while on the job. When it comes to freight broker bonds, the obligee requiring the bond is the U.S. government, the principal required to purchase the bond is the freight broker and the surety responsible for producing the bond is the underwriting company. The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) requires freight brokers and freight forwarders to get a $75,000 surety bond before receiving a license. What does a freight broker license bond do? In order to issue a freight broker license, the FMCSA requires all freight brokers and freight forwarders to file either a BMC-84 surety bond or a BMC-85 trust fund agreement. This requirement exists to ensure that licensed freight brokers and forwarders are held to certain standards, as well as to prevent fraud and failure to pay motor carriers or shippers. The primary difference between the BMC-84 bond and the BMC-85 trust fund is the cost. Freight broker bond premium is a percentage of the full amount of the bond, paid annually. The surety bond allows the business owner to legally register their brokerage, without posting $75,000 as collateral in a trust fund[a]. How much does a freight broker license bond cost? For applicants with excellent credit, SuretyBonds.com can issue these bonds for as little as $938 in many states. Brokers wanting to renew their bond may qualify for the best available premium after a year or two of conducting business without having any claims filed against the bond. Since freight broker bonds are inherently risky, underwriters must review all applicants’ credit and financials in order to determine an appropriate premium required to write the bond. How do I apply for my freight broker bond? 1. Step 1: Apply online, and let our surety experts do all the work for you. 2. Step 2: Pay for your bond. We offer quick, easy and convenient payment options. 3. Step 3: Receive your bond. We will instantly send you a digital copy of your bond via email. This bond is filed electronically by us and submitted directly to the FMCSA on your behalf. No physical copy of the bond is ever issued. Have any questions concerning your freight broker bond? Talk to a surety specialist today by calling 1 (800) 308-4358 or complete our bond request form online and an expert will contact you immediately.

 3) In this video we will simplify and guide you through the entire process of becoming a freight broker, but you can always refer back to our guide for more detailed information on every step of the process: https://www.suretybonds.org/the-complete-compliance-guide-for-freight-brokers The first step is to prepare for your freight brokering job by having some experience in the transportation industry, or attend a Freight Broker training school to develop the necessary skills in order to help you succeed. Next, you will need to choose a company name and register your business with the US Patent and Trade Office, and select the type of business entity you would like to register. You will also need to find the right carriers that work in the same field of operations that you have chosen for your business. Afterwards, you will need to get your USDOT number which will help you apply for your MC number. Once you have your MC and USDOT numbers, you will need to apply for a BMC-84 freight broker bond which is currently $75,000. The cost you pay is only a small percentage of the full bond amount, and is also known as your surety bond premium. With a good credit score, you can expect to pay around $1,500 to $3,800. The stronger your financials are, the lower your bond cost will be. This guarantees that you will follow all applicable rules and regulations in the freight broker industry, and will also act as an additional line of credit for your business. With your surety bond and MC number in hand, you will also need to acquire general liability insurance for every state that you would like to conduct business in. After that, you can designate process agents in those specific states through a BOC-3 form, and begin setting up your physical office, whether that is in your home, or in an office building. After you have set up your office, and met all the licensings and business requirements from the FMCSA, your final step is to obtain some adequate operational capital and market your new business accordingly throughout your area of operations. We hope this freight broker checklist has been helpful for you, and you can always apply for the best freight broker bond rates with Lance Surety Bonds today! https://www.suretybonds.org/freight-broker-bond-application
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- [Narrator] How to form an LLC in Minnesota. Minnesota is an excellent place to form a new LLC with fast startup growth, great access to funding, and the second highest quality of life in the country. Every state has slightly different requirements for forming an LLC. Follow along closely to learn the required steps for creating your own limited liability company in the State of Minnesota. (gentle piano music) There are two ways to form an LLC in Minnesota. You can form one yourself, or you can hire a service to do it for you. Let's start by looking at the five basic requirements to form an LLC in Minnesota on your own. You can also find these steps in more detail on our website, linked in the description below. One, name your LLC. Every state has its own rules about what kind of names are allowed for LLCs. In general, you will need to observe these naming guidelines. Your name must include the phrase, Limited Liability Company, or one of its abbreviations, LLC or L.L.C. with a period following each letter. Restricted words, such as bank, attorney, law office, et cetera, may require additional paperwork and may also need a licensed professional to be part of the LLC. Your name cannot include words that could confuse your LLC with a government agency, such as FBI, Treasury, State Department, et cetera. You cannot use a name that has already been registered. To see if your name is available in your state, you'll need to do a name search. This free service is available on your state Secretary of State website. Check out our free guide for finding the direct link to your state. We also recommend that you check to see if your business name is available as a web domain. Even if you don't plan to make a business website today, you may want to buy the URL in order to prevent others from acquiring it. Two, choose a registered agent. Minnesota requires that you nominate a registered agent for your LLC who is the business's point of contact with the state. The registered agent can be an individual within the company, including yourself, or you can hire a professional service authorized to do business in Minnesota. They will send and receive legal papers on your behalf. These documents include official correspondence, like legal summons and document filings, which your registered agent will receive and forward to you. Your registered agent will help remind you to file the necessary reports. Failure to properly maintain your LLC can result in fines and dissolution, so this assistance is valuable. Three, file the Articles of Organization. To register your Minnesota LLC, you will need to file the Articles of Organization with the Minnesota Secretary of State. This can be done online, by mail, or in-person. You will need to state whether your LLC will be member-managed or manager-managed. Member-managed means all members of the LLC manage the company. This is good for small organizations where everyone is involved in the day-to-day operations. The second option is manager-managed where individuals are appointed to manage the LLC. This is appropriate for larger organizations where not everyone is involved in the day-to-day affairs of the business. Four, create an operating agreement. Although not every state requires it, you should also create an operating agreement to establish ownership terms and member roles for your LLC. This foundational document is the core of your LLC, and will help you maintain your organization, as well as further establish your LLC as a separate legal entity. There are six main sections of an operating agreement. Organization outlines when and where the company was created, who the members are, and how the ownership is structured. Management and voting addresses how the company is managed, as well as how the members vote. Capital contributions covers which members financially support the LLC, and how more funds will be raised in the future. Distributions outlines how the company's profits and losses are shared among members. Membership changes describes the process for adding or removing members, as well as if, and when, members can transfer their ownership shares. And dissolution, which explains the circumstances in which the LLC may be dissolved. An operating agreement is an internal document. It does not need to be filed with the state. However, it should be updated every time there's a change in membership or management at the company. You can download a free sample operating agreement or create a custom one using our free operating agreement tool at HowToStartAnLLC.com. Five, obtain an EIN. Lastly, you'll need to get an Employer Identification Number, or EIN, from the IRS. Also known as a Federal Tax Identification Number, your EIN is like a Social Security Number for your LLC, and is how the IRS tracks your business for tax purposes. And the EIN is also necessary to open a business banking account and legally hire employees. EIN's are free of charge, and can be obtained from the IRS online or through the mail. And with that, you'll have formed a Minnesota LLC on your own. Option two, hire a professional service. The second way to create a Minnesota LLC is to hire a professional service to create your LLC for you. Hiring a professional service to file your forms and act as your registered agent for the LLC will cost you an additional 50 to $150. However, there are several benefits to working with a pro. A hired registered agent helps with getting your reports filed on time, helps you stay organized by keeping your business mail separate, and is available at all regular business hours to accept official mail and legal papers on your LLC's behalf. A final and important additional benefit of using a service is privacy. A professional service will provide a level of privacy by withholding your personal name and home address from the LLC's contact information. There are many reasons you might not want your personal information easily accessible and associated with your business. Hiring a professional LLC formation service is an easy way to accomplish this. Now that you have seen the different requirements and ways you can form an LLC in Minnesota, visit our site and take some time to research your options and establish a solid foundation for your business activities. Click on the links in the description below to research the top five professional formation services, or get more information on how to form a Minnesota LLC on your own. Now you know all the steps to form an LLC in your state. For a more detailed guide, go to HowToStartAnLLC.com.. You can also create an operating agreement and use our business plan tool free of charge. Give the video a like if you found it useful, and subscribe if you'd like to see more. And if you have questions or encounter any roadblocks, leave a comment below. Good luck in starting your small business. (gentle music)
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So, you want to start a trucking company. Saying you want to do it is easy but actually getting started can be quite confusing. You have to know what forms you need, where to get them, and the order you need to complete them in. The good news is, we help people start trucking companies every day with the Apex Startup Program and we can help you, too. Before we get started, you need to answer two important questions. First, do you plan to haul freight across state lines? If so, you'll be hauling interstate freight and you'll need to get Motor Carrier Authority, which is often referred to as an MC Number. If not, you'll be hauling intrastate freight which simply means within your state. Intrastate freight typically involves fewer requirements, however those requirements do vary by state. Second, do you plan to drive a truck for your trucking company? If so, you'll need a commercial driver's license, also called a CDL. To get your CDL contact your state DMV to learn more. Trucking company owners aren't required to obtain a CDL but any drivers you hire are. Starting a trucking company means you'll go to many different websites to complete the required applications and registrations. To make it easy, we've put them together for you and an easy checklist along with other resources on our website, for free! Just head over to our website at the end of this video. The first thing to do is set up your trucking company's business structure. There are four main entity types: Sole Proprietor, Partnership, Limited Liability Company, and Corporation. Research each to decide which business entity is best for you and your trucking company. At Apex, we typically set up trucking companies as LLC's. It provides the protection of a Corporation with the simplicity of a Sole Proprietorship or Partnership. When you set up your business entity you'll go to your state's Secretary of State or similar office, the costs will vary. After you set up your business entity you'll file for an Employee Identification Number, or an EIN for short. The EIN is an ID number that's assigned to your businesses for federal taxes and reporting purposes. Getting your EIN is a fairly simple process and it's free! The biggest part of starting a trucking company is registering for authority with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, also known as FMCSA. This is where you'll get a Department of Transportation Number and Motor Carrier Operating Authority, or a DOT and MC Numbers, the DOT Number is required for all carrier vehicles weighing more than a certain amount transporting property or people and commerce and operating between state lines. The MC Number allows trucking companies to legally haul freight across state lines. The cost of applying for common for-hire motor carrier authority is $300. Applying for authority is just step one, after applying you'll wait to get active authority. For your authority to become active you're going to need proof of insurance and your BOC-3 filing the BOC-3 filing designates process agents for your trucking company. A process agent is a person who can receive legal documents for your trucking company in the event of a lawsuit. You'll need a process agent for every state that you operate in. There are a lot of BOC-3 filing companies out there so do your research, make sure you find a reputable one. The prices will vary, we've seen costs start as low as $50 and go up from there. Next, you'll need proof of liability insurance coverage within 90 days of filing for your authority and while it's not required for active Authority we recommend you also get cargo insurance since the vast majority of brokers and shippers will require it before you can haul for them. Getting insurance coverage will take research, get a few quotes from different companies and choose the best option for your business. Insurance is one of the largest upfront costs. To give you an idea, the initial down payment for insurance can range from $4,000 to $6000 with the monthly insurance payment of $1000 to $3000 per truck. We're a little halfway through, if you're feeling overwhelmed by all the steps let us help! The Apex Startup Program will help with registrations and filings so that you can focus on building a successful business. Call 855-211-0929 to get started today! Another interstate commerce filing you'll need is the Unified Carrier Registration, also called UCR. The cost of getting your UCR will depend on your fleet size. Just remember, the more trucks the higher the annual filing fee. You'll also need to register your truck and get apportioned license plates. The International Registration Plan, IRP for short, is an agreement between The Continental United States and Canadian Provinces that allows them to divide payments of registration fees based on distance travel in the different jurisdictions. The cost for IRP will vary but you can use the fee estimator available on their website. Now, it's time to register for quarterly fuel taxes through the International Fuel Tax Agreement, also called IFTA. Before filing quarterly fuel taxes you need to register with your state agency that handles fuel taxes and order IFTA can decals to put on your truck. If your registration and cab decal costs will vary. Make sure to check for other state specific registrations. Your state might have additional requirements and you might also need Intrastate Authority. Some states also require weight distance tax permit to haul through their state such as Kentucky, New Mexico, New York, and Oregon. There you have it! Those are all the steps to starting a trucking company. Thanks for watching, if you want more information head over to our website! Thanks for watching, give us a thumbs up if you liked the video. Hit the subscribe button if you haven't already and hit the bell so you'll get notified when we post our next video. We'll see you on the next one!
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