If your company transports passengers or goods, you may need a USDOT number. USDOT numbers uniquely identify your business and allow the USDOT to track safety records and ensure that you are adhering to all operating requirements. You can get your motor carrier number online for free from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).

Step 1
Navigate to the FMCSA website listed in Resources.

Step 2
Click on “Register Online” under “Registration & Licensing.”

Step 3
Click on “Start the Step-by-Step Registration Guide.”

Step 4
Fill in the interview style questionnaire. The questionnaire will help you decide if you need a USDOT number and if you do, it will ask your the questions needed to submit the application.

Step 5
Pay for your motor carrier number and then write it down when you have completed the application. It will be issued immediately.

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A freight trailer is a great platform for conversion into a travel trailer. Medium and large sized freight trailers are wide enough to accommodate a full-size bed and high enough to allow most people to stand upright. Many have preexisting personnel access doors at the front and full-width drop-down or roller doors at the back, which make them ideal toy haulers. Although such a conversion is time-consuming and likely to be costly, the finished article will be designed specifically to serve the builder’s purposes. A great deal of detailed planning should be carried out before starting such a complex project

Take accurate measurements of the freight trailer’s internal dimensions and transfer them to graph paper. Mark on the plan the exact location of all preexisting doors and roof vents. Visit a recreational vehicle show or go to some dealerships and learn what options are available, then design your own interior. Locate galley and bathroom areas beneath the preexisting roof vents, and design storage areas around the doors.

Determine how your motorcycles or four-wheelers will fit into the freight trailer if you are converting it into a toy hauler travel trailer. Consider whether you will wish to keep muddy areas separate from the residential space, and draw partition walls on your graph paper plans accordingly. You may need to make provision for the safe storage of fuel canisters, and if specialized protective clothing is required then dedicated closets should be considered.

Photocopy your plans of the fixtures and fittings, then plan 12 volt and 120 volt electrical systems to serve the lighting circuits, appliances and outlets. The 12 volt system should have a deep cycle battery connected to a fused hot wire from the tow vehicle which will recharge it when the engine is running. By fitting a shore power cord and circuit breaker board to a 120 volt system, household electrical equipment and air conditioners can be installed.

Draw a plumbing system onto a separate photocopy of the plan; consider whether you will need a toilet and a shower, or just a wash hand basin. Consider a freshwater storage tank for remote camping, with a 12 volt pump and waste storage tanks installed beneath the freight trailer. A city water hookup can supply the system when external supply is available.

Plan on insulating the walls, roof and floor against extremes of climate, and the use of interior paneling to make the interior attractive and easy to clean.

Ensure your freight trailer travel trailer conversion will be legal for road use. Learn about the legal change-of-use requirements in your state, and the minimum number of running lights necessary for the trailer’s length and width.

Logistics companies specialize in the organization, storage, transportation and delivery of their clients’ products. Lean manufacturing companies will outsource the logistics function to decrease costs and increase efficiency in their supply chains. As more companies realize the benefit of operating lean and outsourcing non-core competencies, the demand for logistics service providers will no doubt continue to increase. Knowing how to start a logistics company is the first step to entering this exciting industry.

Determine the specific logistics services that you will offer your clients. Logistics companies can provide a range of specialized services, including storage, trucking, shipping by sea, air transportation, shipping through the mail and integrated supply chain technology management. Choose services that you are experienced with personally, and those that will give you a competitive advantage over competitors in the marketplace.

Register your business in your state. The process for registering your business varies by state, and according to how you plan to organize your business. Contact the Secretary of State’s office in your state to determine the exact filing requirements and fees for your business. Ask the Secretary of State’s office whether the transportation and shipping industries require specialized licenses in your state, as well.

Obtain start-up funds. Logistics companies with a transportation focus generally cannot bootstrap their start-up; significant amounts of money or credit are needed upfront for vehicles, facilities, technology and other equipment. Create a business plan, and present your business model to lenders and investors to obtain the money you need to buy your initial equipment. Consider bringing a partner or two into the business to increase the debt-free resources brought to the table, as well.

Purchase the equipment your suite of services calls for. Purchase enough vehicles and storage space to handle the volume that you expect for the first few years; do not try to start out too small or you may have trouble gaining momentum in the logistics industry. Purchase enough equipment to be able to simultaneously serve several customers at once in the beginning.

Implement supply-chain-management technology. Logistics-management software can help you to track exactly which items from which clients are on which vehicles, as well as show you exactly where each shipment is via satellite tracking. Install long-range communication technology for your drivers, such as CB radios or cellphones, to stay in contact at all times. Implement Radio Frequency Identification tracking technology to gain further control over your shipments, storage and products in the pipeline.

The occupancy load is the number of people that can occupy a building, arena, auditorium or stadium at the same time. Generally, city fire departments establish occupancy loads in association with building and fire codes. However, all fire departments use general guidelines established by educational or research institutions such as the Georgia Institute of Technology (GIT). GIT’s report established guidelines for four basic types of buildings: assembly, business, laboratory and residential.

To calculate the occupancy load for an assembly building, first calculate the area of the building by determining the length and width and multiplying them together. This will give you the area in square footage. If the assembly area is without seating, divide the area by seven to get the occupancy load. If the assembly building has conference rooms, dining rooms, exhibit rooms or a gymnasium, divide by 15 to get the load. If the assembly area has seating arrangements, such as bleachers and pews, divide the square footage by 2.25. For libraries with book stacks, divide by 100. For reading rooms within libraries, divide by 50.

To determine the occupancy load for a business building, measure the width and length of the building and multiply them together to get the square footage. Divide the square footage by 100 to get the occupancy load.

To calculate the occupancy load for a laboratory, measure the width and length of the building and multiply them together to get the square footage. Divide the square footage by 100 to get the occupancy load.

To compute the occupancy load for a residential building, measure the width and length of the building and multiply them together to get the square footage. Divide the square footage by 200 to get the occupancy load.