The full timeline
From intake to ACTIVE.
Every checkpoint Cypress runs on your behalf, plotted on one horizontal timeline. Click any node for the customer-facing description. The 21-day FMCSA vetting window expands into the T-21 / T-14 / T-10 / T-5 / T-2 / T-0 micro-ticks Cypress polls — the same cadence the operations team works to.
- Intake Day 0
- LLC formed Days 1–5
- EIN issued Days 5–7
- USDOT + MC submitted Days 7–10
- 21-day vetting Days 10–31
- BOC-3 + insurance Day 31
- UCR Days 31–45
- ACTIVE Day 45+
The micro-ticks Cypress polls during your vetting window.
SAFER polling cadence converges from daily, to every 6 hours, to hourly as T-0 approaches. The same cadence the operations team watches lives directly on your portal.
- T-21 24h polling
Vetting window opens. SAFER polled daily; portal calendar lights green.
- T-14 24h polling
First-week clear. No FMCSA flags. Customer sees a checkmark and no action required.
- T-10 12h polling
Cadence tightens. BOC-3 prep starts pre-staging — process-agent designation packet built with byte-identical legal name.
- T-5 6h polling
Last business week. Insurance broker (Northridge or carrier's own) is notified to have certificates ready for the activation window.
- T-2 1h polling
Cadence tightens to hourly. Cypress is watching SAFER continuously for the AUTHORIZED status flip.
- T-0 Status flip
SAFER returns AUTHORIZED. MC is live. BOC-3 fires within the hour. ACTIVE state reached.
Intake
One guided intake captures the data every downstream filing needs: legal name (the single source of truth), owner identity, equipment, intended operating scope, principal address. The legal name you commit here is the legal name that appears on the LLC, EIN, USDOT, MC, BOC-3, and every recurring filing — byte-identical, end-to-end.
LLC formed
LLC formation is filed in your state via the appropriate Secretary of State portal. State filing fees pass through at cost — itemized, never marked up, never relabeled. You receive your Articles of Organization back in the portal.
EIN issued
Federal EIN is filed with the IRS using the verified legal name. The EIN ties the LLC to every federal filing that follows — USDOT, 2290 HVUT, future tax registrations.
USDOT + MC submitted
The FMCSA URS application is built from your verified data — every field pre-populated — and submitted on your behalf. You see the package before it goes on the wire. USDOT issues immediately; the MC number follows when authority is granted.
21-day vetting
FMCSA's 21-day vetting window begins the moment your authority application is on the wire. During this window, FMCSA reviews the filing, publishes notice in the Federal Register, and accepts protests. Cypress polls SAFER on a tightening cadence — every 24 hours at T-21, every 6 hours at T-5, every hour at T-2 — and surfaces every status change in your portal.
SAFER polling cadence
- T-21 24h polling Vetting window opens. SAFER polled daily; portal calendar lights green.
- T-14 24h polling First-week clear. No FMCSA flags. Customer sees a checkmark and no action required.
- T-10 12h polling Cadence tightens. BOC-3 prep starts pre-staging — process-agent designation packet built with byte-identical legal name.
- T-5 6h polling Last business week. Insurance broker (Northridge or carrier's own) is notified to have certificates ready for the activation window.
- T-2 1h polling Cadence tightens to hourly. Cypress is watching SAFER continuously for the AUTHORIZED status flip.
- T-0 Status flip SAFER returns AUTHORIZED. MC is live. BOC-3 fires within the hour. ACTIVE state reached.
BOC-3 + insurance
At T-0, the BOC-3 designation is filed with FMCSA through the registered process-agent. The name-match guard ensures the legal name on the BOC-3 is byte-identical to the LLC and the MC certificate — the single most common rejection reason on DIY filings. Insurance certificates (BMC-91/91X, MCS-90) are filed by your broker into FMCSA's L&I system.
UCR
Unified Carrier Registration is filed if the carrier crosses state lines (interstate operation). Federal UCR fee passes through at cost — $46 for 0–2 vehicles, scaling up by fleet size. UCR is a once-a-year renewal in the October window; future renewals are pre-built on your portal calendar.
ACTIVE
Operating authority is live. USDOT and MC are AUTHORIZED in SAFER, BOC-3 is on file, UCR is current, insurance is filed. The portal calendar transitions into recurring-mode — MCS-150 biennial, UCR annual, 2290 HVUT annual, IRP annual, IFTA quarterly. One bill, one portal, one timeline, indefinitely.
Ready to start the timeline?
Start your LLC + Authority bundle for $1,050, or file authority-only for $699 if your entity is already formed.