Before a broker can tender a load, it needs to set you up as a carrier. A complete packet, ready to send, turns a day of back and forth into a few minutes.
What goes in the packet
- Operating authority: your MC and USDOT numbers, often with the authority letter.
- Certificate of insurance: auto liability and cargo, with current dates, and the broker named as certificate holder when asked.
- W-9: signed, with the name exactly as it appears on your authority.
- Notice of assignment: if you factor, so the broker pays your factoring company.
- Company profile: contacts, equipment and lanes. Our carrier profile sheet builds one in minutes.
Keep it current
An expired insurance certificate can stop a load at the last minute. Put every renewal date on a calendar with a reminder ahead of time, and update the packet the day a new document arrives.
Protect your information
Send packets only to brokers you have verified, and be cautious with requests that arrive by unexpected email. Fraudsters sometimes pose as brokers or carriers to steal identities and loads.
Track who has what
Keep a simple list of which brokers have your current packet. When insurance renews, you know exactly who needs the new certificate.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or regulatory advice. Rules change; confirm current requirements with the responsible agency or a licensed professional.
