Answering Your Questions About the BOC-3

In order for a trucking company to qualify to provide interstate service, it must file a BOC-3. To do this, it must file the appropriate application with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Today, we’ll answer your questions about the BOC-3

Question #1. What is a BOC-3?

The BOC-3 is a special form. With it, the carrier is legally in any state.

When you execute this document, the trucking company appoints agents of process – official representatives in each state. It is the responsibility of these employees to take legal action on behalf of the trucking company.

Consider the situation. Suppose your trucking company is located in Florida. One day, one of your vehicles is involved in an accident while providing services in Queens. The other party involved in the accident, for one reason or another, finds no other way out of the situation than to seek legal assistance. Thanks to the BOC, your trucking company’s process agent will have the opportunity to pick up the paperwork associated with the lawsuit.

Question #2. How do I execute a BOC-3?

FMCSA regulations require the process agent to provide a BOC-3 on behalf of the trucking company. Brokers and forwarders, who do not own commercial vehicles due to the specifics of their professional activities, submit the form themselves.

The BOC-3 is issued for all states at once. It lists all states for which a process agent will be assigned. The cost of the application ranges from $20 to $40.

Official copies of the BOC-3 are sent to each state in which your trucking company operates. The original is at the head office.

When new agents are appointed to the process, a new BOC-3 is issued and also sent to all states where the organization is present.

Question #3. How do I assign a process agent?

As we mentioned earlier, U.S. law requires all trucking companies to designate a process agent for each state in which they operate. This rule also applies to those states that trucks just pass through. As for brokers and freight forwarders, they must designate a process agent in each state in which they have an office and in which they transact business.

Specialists who guarantee nationwide coverage are most commonly referred to as universal agents. They are most in demand with trucking companies. The reason is simple: they save time (and therefore money) in finding a separate agent for each state.

Note that a process agent in a particular state can only be someone who is a permanent resident of that state.

Once FMCSA publishes an application for a motor carrier number and a U.S. DOT number, that carrier’s contacts become available to an unlimited number of individuals. This causes the trucking company to begin receiving calls and letters in large numbers offering to issue a BOC-3. Here, it is extremely important to make sure that you have not been contacted by fraudsters. To do this, just check with the FMCSA’s official list of process agents.