Question 1

Can I sell if my MC authority is registered to me personally (sole proprietor / SSN)?

Accepted Answer

No. FMCSA authority registered to a sole proprietor under your SSN can't be transferred — it's tied to you personally, not to a sellable entity. Authority issued to an LLC or corporation is what we acquire, because the entity itself is what changes hands. If you're operating as a sole prop, the path is to wind down and re-apply under a new entity rather than to sell the existing authority.

Question 2

Does my LLC qualify if it's only one truck?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Fleet size doesn't determine whether we'll buy — we acquire single-truck LLCs all the time. What matters is the LLC's authority status, insurance, Amazon Relay status (if any), and violation history. Pricing for single-truck LLCs is lower than multi-truck operations, but the structure is the same.

Question 3

What if my MC authority is currently inactive?

Accepted Answer

If the LLC has an active Amazon Relay contract, inactive authority is workable — we re-bind insurance and reactivate authority as part of closing. If there's no Relay contract, we generally need the authority to be active, because reactivation alone doesn't give us the operating history we need to onboard with freight networks. Authorities inactive for more than 12 months are usually beyond reactivation by FMCSA.

Question 4

Can I sell only the MC number and keep the LLC?

Accepted Answer

No, and neither can anyone else legitimately. FMCSA explicitly prohibits selling, leasing, or transferring an MC or DOT number outside a legitimate sale of the underlying entity. The number stays with the entity it's registered to. What you're really selling is the LLC; the MC number transfers with it.

Question 5

I have multiple LLCs — can I sell some and keep others?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Each LLC is a separate legal entity and we treat each one independently. Sellers with multi-LLC books often sell one or two and keep the rest — there's nothing in our process that requires all-or-nothing.

Question 6

How much is my MC authority worth?

Accepted Answer

It depends on five real variables, in rough order of impact: whether the LLC has an active Amazon Relay contract (biggest single factor), MC authority age, insurance status, violation history, and any active loans. A clean LLC with active Relay typically trades in a much higher band than a fresh non-Relay MC. We give a written number per LLC after a quick FMCSA pull — that's the only honest way to price it.

Question 7

What raises my LLC's value the most?

Accepted Answer

An active Amazon Relay contract, clean CSA scores, no out-of-service orders, and continuous active insurance. If those four are in place, the LLC is in the upper end of our pricing band. Niche specializations (reefer, flatbed, hazmat) help; aged authority alone with no operating history doesn't move the number much.

Question 8

I've heard MCs sell for $20K–$30K — is that real?

Accepted Answer

Be careful with that figure. Overdrive and trade press have reported that the $30K offers floating around for 'aged authority' often come from buyers planning to use the MC for double-brokering or cargo theft schemes, not for legitimate operations. Real fair-market pricing for a clean MC sits well below those headline numbers in most cases. If a buyer offers you $30K with no diligence and no written agreement, slow down and verify them.

Question 9

Asset sale or stock sale — what's the difference?

Accepted Answer

A stock (equity) sale transfers the LLC itself with all its authorities, EIN, history, and contracts intact. An asset sale transfers specific items (trucks, equipment, contracts) but not the LLC. We do equity sales because that's what preserves the MC, DOT, EIN, broker setups, and Amazon Relay contract. Asset sales force the buyer to set up fresh authority — which usually isn't what we're after.

Question 10

Does niche freight (reefer, flatbed, hazmat) change the price?

Accepted Answer

Yes — specialized authority and equipment generally trade at a premium to dry van. Hazmat and tanker endorsements add value because the underlying setup (driver qualifications, insurance class, FMCSA permits) is harder to replicate quickly.

Question 11

How long does the whole sale take?

Accepted Answer

Most deals close in 7–14 days from the time we receive your details. Clean LLCs with no active loans, no liens, and a current insurance policy land closer to 7. Deals with active loans, factoring lines, or recent violations land closer to 14. The bottleneck is usually the bank or the lender, not us.

Question 12

What are the actual steps?

Accepted Answer

Four main stages: (1) you submit your LLC details and we come back with a written offer; (2) we sign a short letter of intent and complete diligence; (3) we sign the Membership Interest Purchase Agreement and any related state filings; (4) closing wire goes out, and the LLC, MC, DOT, phone, email, and bank account hand over to us. Post-close, we drive the FMCSA notification, drug-consortium handover, and any state-level registration updates.

Question 13

Do I have to file anything with FMCSA myself?

Accepted Answer

Not really. Since 2013, FMCSA no longer requires a formal $300 application or filing for an ownership change of an LLC that holds operating authority. Both parties are asked to notify FMCSA of the change, and we handle that filing on your behalf. You may need to sign one or two state-level forms (membership amendment, statement of change) depending on the LLC's state of registration.

Question 14

Once we close, how quickly can the LLC run loads under our ownership?

Accepted Answer

Same week, in most cases. The MC authority itself stays active because the entity didn't change — only the membership did. We file the new insurance certificate (BMC-91 or BMC-32) and update the BOC-3 process agent on day one of new ownership, and Amazon Relay (if applicable) sees continuity rather than a transfer event.

Question 15

Does my DOT number transfer to you?

Accepted Answer

Yes, because we do equity sales. DOT and MC numbers stay with the LLC entity. In an asset sale they wouldn't — the buyer would need a new DOT — but that's not how our deals are structured.

Question 16

Does my EIN transfer?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The LLC's EIN stays with the LLC because the entity itself doesn't dissolve. We file Form 8822-B with the IRS post-close to update the responsible party. Note: this also means you can't reuse the same EIN for a future business — once an EIN is issued to an entity, it stays there for the life of the entity.

Question 17

What about my broker setups, rate confirmations, and packets?

Accepted Answer

Broker setups carry forward when the LLC is sold intact, because brokers have set you up under the LLC's MC, DOT, and EIN. We don't need to re-onboard with each broker. Some broker contracts have anti-assignment or change-of-control clauses that technically require notice — we handle that as part of post-close cleanup.

Question 18

What about my company phone, email, MyRelay login, ELD account?

Accepted Answer

All transferable as part of closing — and we want them. The phone number is non-negotiable for us; an LLC without its phone is missing half its operational continuity. Email accounts (Gmail Workspace or domain-attached) port through admin access. MyRelay logins update with the new ownership. ELD subscriptions either transfer or get migrated to our provider.

Question 19

Do my trucks transfer with the LLC?

Accepted Answer

Only if you want them to. If trucks are titled to the LLC, they transfer automatically with the LLC sale and we factor that into the offer. If you want to keep your trucks (titled to you personally or to a separate entity), we can structure the sale so only the LLC and authorities transfer, and you sell the trucks individually on your own timeline.

Question 20

Can I sell if I still have a loan on a truck?

Accepted Answer

Yes, if the truck is titled to the LLC and the lien is paid off at closing. We coordinate the payoff wire directly with your lender — the purchase price splits between the lender (for payoff) and you (for the remainder). If you want to keep the truck, you keep both the truck and the loan, and we exclude the truck from the LLC sale.

Question 21

Do you take on my factoring relationship?

Accepted Answer

We can. Factoring relationships sit on UCC liens against the LLC, so we have to address them at closing — either by paying off the line and closing the relationship, or by transferring it under our ownership. Most often we pay it off because we have our own factoring on better terms, but each deal is structured to fit.

Question 22

If you buy the LLC in a stock sale, do you assume my debts?

Accepted Answer

Equity sales do come with the LLC's existing liabilities, which is why diligence matters. We don't take on undisclosed debt — your purchase agreement includes a representation that you've disclosed all liabilities and an indemnification if something undisclosed surfaces post-close. Disclose everything up front and the structure is clean.

Question 23

What happens to my insurance policy at closing?

Accepted Answer

If your policy is active, we either re-bind it under new ownership with the existing carrier or transfer to one of ours. If it's lapsed, we re-bind from scratch — the LLC is briefly without coverage during the transition, but we time the new BMC-91 filing to land within 24 hours of closing. You're not on the hook for coverage post-close.

Question 24

Can the Amazon Relay contract actually transfer?

Accepted Answer

Indirectly, yes — by selling the LLC that holds the contract. Amazon Relay contracts are bound to the carrier (LLC), not to you personally. When the LLC's membership changes hands, the contract continues. Amazon's 2026 verification rules require disclosure of beneficial-owner changes, so we always notify Amazon through proper channels rather than letting the change appear as a quiet transfer — undisclosed changes are a terminable offense under their terms.

Question 25

Does my Amazon scorecard / performance history carry over?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Performance scores are bound to the carrier ID, and the carrier ID stays with the LLC. Your tier, your acceptance rate, your on-time delivery score — all of it survives the ownership change and continues under our operation. Amazon recalculates scores on a 12-month rolling basis, so any regressions take time to surface, and any history of strong performance is real value we factor into the offer.

Question 26

Is Amazon Relay the same as Amazon DSP? I'm confused.

Accepted Answer

They're completely different and not interchangeable. Amazon Relay is for independent trucking carriers (Class 8) hauling middle-mile and long-haul freight between Amazon facilities. DSP (Delivery Service Partner) is the last-mile branded-van program with employee drivers. We acquire Relay carriers; we don't acquire DSPs, and DSP accounts are explicitly non-transferable under Amazon's rules.

Question 27

How much extra is my LLC worth because it has Amazon Relay?

Accepted Answer

A lot — the Relay contract is the primary driver of price for a Relay carrier. That said, be wary of buyers who claim Relay alone adds $20K–$30K on top of an otherwise modest LLC. Real Relay value depends on the contract status, scorecard, lane assignments, and load volume — not on the existence of the account itself. We price Relay based on the actual operating data we can verify.

Question 28

What happens to my drivers when the LLC sells?

Accepted Answer

Drivers are at-will employees of the LLC, so legally their employment continues under the new ownership unless one side terminates. In practice, we offer continued employment to drivers we want to retain on the same terms (or better), and your existing drivers can choose to stay or leave. Drug-consortium files transfer with the carrier, so there's no break in their compliance status.

Question 29

Do I need to give drivers WARN-Act notice?

Accepted Answer

Generally no for small-fleet sales. Federal WARN applies at 100+ employees with mass layoffs; most owner-operator LLCs are well below that threshold. Some states have lower thresholds — California, New York, New Jersey, Illinois — so check state law if you have 50+ drivers. For typical 1–20 truck fleets, WARN doesn't apply.

Question 30

What about IFTA, IRP, 2290, drug consortium, ELD provider — do all of those transfer?

Accepted Answer

Yes, when the LLC stays intact (equity sale). IFTA license is base-state issued to the LLC and continues. IRP cab cards stay with the LLC. Form 2290 (HVUT) is paid annually and the LLC's filing status stays current — no refund needed. Drug consortium membership transfers; clearinghouse query history follows each driver. ELD provider account transfers with the entity. The only thing we typically reset is the consortium membership, because we move drivers to our consortium — but that happens cleanly post-close.

Question 31

Can I get a Form 2290 (HVUT) refund for the unused months after sale?

Accepted Answer

If trucks transfer with the LLC, no — the LLC keeps operating those trucks under us. If you keep trucks personally and sell them later, then yes: file IRS Form 8849 Schedule 6 to claim a credit for the unused months on the 2290.

Question 32

How do I know you're a legitimate buyer and not running a fraud scheme?

Accepted Answer

Three checks: (1) we provide a written purchase agreement, never a verbal handshake; (2) all funds wire through an attorney's escrow account, not direct to a person; (3) we operate the LLC after closing — we don't disappear with the authority and use it for double-brokering. Trade press (Overdrive, CCJ) has documented rings buying authorities for cargo theft schemes — those operations refuse legal counsel, refuse escrow, and offer cash. We do none of that.

Question 33

Will FMCSA inactivate my MC if it sees me 'selling' it?

Accepted Answer

Only if the transaction is structured as a sale of the number itself, which is prohibited. FMCSA explicitly inactivates authorities that are sold, leased, or transferred outside legitimate corporate transactions. The way we structure deals — equity sale of the LLC, with both parties notifying FMCSA of the ownership change — is the legitimate path FMCSA recognizes. We've never had an authority deactivated post-close.

Question 34

How do I protect myself from accidents or violations the buyer causes after closing?

Accepted Answer

Three legal mechanisms: (1) the purchase agreement includes a release of seller liability for post-close events; (2) we file the FMCSA ownership change with a clear effective date so any subsequent violation is documented under our ownership; (3) the LLC's insurance is re-bound under our name immediately, so claims arising after closing are against our policy, not yours. Your CDL, your personal driving record, and your name are completely separate from the LLC post-close.

Question 35

How should payment be structured so I'm safe?

Accepted Answer

Wire transfer through escrow at closing — never partial payments, never seller financing for first-time buyers, never anything in cash. Our standard is funds go from us into the closing attorney's IOLTA escrow account, sign the documents, escrow releases the wire to your account same-day. If a buyer asks you to send the LLC documents before they wire funds, that's a flag.

Question 36

How is the sale taxed for me?

Accepted Answer

Equity sales held for more than 12 months generally qualify for long-term capital gains treatment on the gain over your basis in the LLC. Some portion may be taxed as ordinary income depending on how the purchase price is allocated (Form 8594) — particularly any part attributed to depreciable equipment that triggers depreciation recapture. Talk to a CPA familiar with trucking-business sales before closing — the structure of the deal directly affects your after-tax proceeds.

Question 37

Will my drivers, brokers, or competitors find out before closing?

Accepted Answer

Not from us. We sign a mutual NDA before diligence on request, and our standard practice is to keep the transaction confidential through closing. Brokers and Amazon don't get notified until closing, when the change is filed officially. The only parties who know during diligence are you, us, our respective lawyers, and any lender involved in a payoff.

Question 38

Can I open a new MC authority after I sell?

Accepted Answer

Yes, but FMCSA flags 'chameleon carriers' — new entities that share owners, addresses, or other identifiers with recently sold or revoked entities. If you want to come back into the industry under new authority, you'll go through the standard New Entrant audit (18 months) and you should set the new entity up at a different address from the old LLC to avoid chameleon flags. Common ownership alone isn't disqualifying — it just invites scrutiny.

Question 39

What happens if my LLC doesn't qualify for an offer?

Accepted Answer

We tell you within hours and explain exactly why. No fee, no obligation, no hard sell. If your LLC is close but not quite (for example, MC authority is 200 days old when our limit is 180), we'll often suggest specific steps to get to qualifying status — or we'll tell you straight that the path doesn't make sense and you'd be better off with a different exit option.

Does my LLC qualify?

Pricing & valuation

Process & timeline

What transfers at closing

Loans, liens & insurance

Amazon Relay specifics

Drivers, employees & operations

Risk & avoiding scams

Taxes, confidentiality & after the sale

Every questionwe get asked.