Jenny Lucas

The nightmare began when we applied for the interstate Operating Authority (MC number) for our logistics company. When you complete transactions with FMCSA your basic company information become public. As soon as we submitted the application, we started getting calls from companies who offered to act as our process agents. Almost all of these companies claimed to provide blanket coverage and be totally legit. Some other types of fraud calls we received were:

• agents asking to enroll in Drug and Alcohol Supervisor training
• General FMCSA regulatory and compliance support
• Apply for Unified Carrier Registration Compliance
• Check our Biennial Update or Unified Registration System compliance

To say the least, it was extremely annoying, as we needed a process agent for the company but all these scammers made us keep our guard way up as Process agent scams are a common thing. It felt like we could not trust any company and one simply cannot start the logistics business without a process agent to file BOC 3 with FMCSA.

What is a process agent?

A process agent is a company of an individual agent that Logistics Company officially assigns to file and receive legal papers in all states they operate. Process agents file BOC-3 form with federal motor carrier safety administration. After filing, they become an official party that represents the logistics company in all 50 states and takes care of prompt & discreet handling of important legal and tax documents.

BOC 3:

BOC 3 form needs to file just once and the process agent must charge you a fee just once. It cost around $30 to $40 to file BOC 3 and a legit process agent will never charge anything more than this i.e. no hidden fees.

How to check if a process agent is legit.

We selected our process agent very carefully and there are some steps that you can take to avoid falling victim to any fraud.

• Must be registered and licensed: go to the website of FMCSA and select a registered process agent from there. Ask for their license number and proof of registration (required in some states e.g. Washington DC)
• Electronic filing: almost all legit process agents do the electronic filing of BOC 3 and they should send you a copy of the form as soon as they file it with FMCSA. When they file BOC 3 it should be available on the website of FMCSA within 24 hours.
• Email link: they should send you an email link from where you can handle and keep an eye on all the online forms and transactions. Some companies HD scan the legal documents for you and email it to you.
• No hidden or recurrent charges: they shouldn’t charge you anything above $40 for filing the form. Rest they may charge you an annual handling fee.
• A process agent Must have a physical address (not a post office box) in all states of designation
• Process agents must be available at that address during normal business hours.

We followed all the above steps and got ourselves a highly reliable and efficient process agent company that offered a blanket of coverage. A+ Agents of Process Inc. is a trustworthy company and we faced no issues after we got them as our process agent. They have wide experience in the industry and are extremely professional.

A BOC 3 (Blanket of Coverage) form is what every freight or shipping company has to file before starting the business. A process agent is required to file this form on behalf of a shipping company. That process agent will be designated to the transportation service to deal with all the legal matters in all states they’ll be operating i.e. in case of any legal issue they will accept court papers from the state on behalf of the company.

How to file BOC 3:

If you want to start a shipping company, once you receive your MC number you can contact a process agent by going to the website of FMCSA (federal motor carrier and safety administration). You will see a list of agents there and can select one to file BOC 3 with FMCSA on your behalf. only a registered agent should be selected.

Cost:

The cost of filing a BOC 3 is $20 to $40. But your process agent may charge you anywhere from $29 to $100 based on the scope of legal services they’ll provide.

Filing process:

You can go to the site of process agents and apply for filing there. Most filing agents have regular operational hours of 9 to 5. Once the receive your request for filing, they’ll prepare all the legal documents to file the BOC 3. FMCSA requires you to file the BOC 3 electronically. Once the form is filed by the process agent it will immediately show on the site of FMCSA. After that ask your process agent for a pdf copy of it for your record. Only one form needs to be filed for all the states, you don’t have to file multiple forms as only one agent will deal with legal matters in all states you operate.

Filing BOC 3 again:

Once you’re done filing BOC 3, you’re good to go. Under normal circumstances, you have to file BOC 3 just once but you may be required to file it again if:

• You change the Name of the company
• Reinstatement
• Transfer of Authority

How to Select process agent?

Selecting the right process agent for filing BOC 3 form is important as they’ll be taking care of all your legal matters. Do a little homework and try to find an agent who can:

• Provide references to previous or current companies they’ve worked with.
• Ask clear questions about how much they will charge and if there will be an annual fee. Some process agents charge you an annual fee without even telling you about it. FMCSA doesn’t require you to file BOC 3 form annually so there should be no fee.
• Have years of experience and are aware of all the legal requirements.
• They are trustworthy and won’t charge you any hidden fees.

A+ agents of process Inc. are providing BOC 3 filing services. Their office is located in Aspen hill circle lone CO. They’re registered with FMCSA.