Carrier Onboarding Packet Checklist (2026)
CarrierLeads Research Team
We build and operate CarrierLeads, the tool that ingests FMCSA authority records every week, verifies them against live federal sources, and runs cold email sequences for dispatchers, brokers and factors.
Reviewed and updated September 22, 2026
An onboarding packet is the difference between a carrier you can dispatch on Monday and a carrier you are still chasing paperwork from on Friday. The list below is the standard packet used across dispatch services and small brokerages.
Collect it once, store it where you can find it, and set a reminder for the pieces that expire.
The standard eight-item packet
Nothing here is exotic. What separates a clean onboarding from a messy one is collecting all of it in a single pass instead of emailing back and forth for a week.
- Signed dispatcher-carrier or broker-carrier agreement
- W-9 with the exact legal entity name and EIN
- FMCSA operating authority letter (MC or FF number)
- Certificate of insurance naming you as certificate holder
- Voided check or bank letter for settlement
- Driver's CDL and, where relevant, medical card
- Notice of assignment if the carrier factors invoices
- Contact sheet: dispatch phone, after-hours phone, billing email
Which items expire and when
Two documents in the packet go stale on their own schedule, and they are the two that cause claims problems: the certificate of insurance and the operating authority status.
A COI typically runs a twelve-month policy term. Operating authority does not expire on a date, but it can go inactive the moment an insurance filing lapses or a UCR registration is missed. Both need monitoring, not filing.
- Certificate of insurance — expires on the policy date printed on the form
- Operating authority — status can flip to out of service with no notice to you
- Notice of assignment — changes whenever the carrier switches factoring companies
- W-9 — reissue when the carrier changes entity name or EIN
How to collect it without the email chain
The fastest pattern is a single link. Send the carrier one URL, they fill in company details, upload each document, and sign the agreement in the browser. You get a completed packet instead of nine attachments in six threads.
CarrierLeads does this with a magic-link onboarding portal: you copy one link, the carrier submits everything, and each document lands in that carrier's vault with its own status and expiration date.
How we source this
Primary federal sources
Authority, insurance and safety facts come from FMCSA registration data, the Licensing & Insurance system, and the QCMobile API — not resold list files.
Refreshed weekly
Our ingest re-pulls new and re-filed authorities every week, then re-checks status before a record is ever shown or emailed.
Written from operating experience
Sequence structure, timing and copy guidance reflect the outreach we run inside the product from members' own mailboxes, under CAN-SPAM and TCPA constraints.
Verify any single carrier yourself with our free USDOT authority lookup, which queries the federal record live.
Frequently asked questions
- What documents do I need from a carrier before dispatching?
- A signed agreement, W-9, FMCSA authority letter, certificate of insurance naming you as certificate holder, a voided check or bank letter, the driver's CDL, and a notice of assignment if they factor.
- Do I need a certificate of insurance as a dispatcher?
- Yes. Even when you are not the one liable on the load, you need the COI on file to verify auto liability and cargo limits meet what shippers and brokers require.
- How often should a carrier packet be refreshed?
- Re-verify insurance at every policy renewal and check authority status at least monthly. The rest of the packet only changes when the carrier's entity, bank, or factor changes.
- Can a carrier sign the agreement electronically?
- Yes. An e-signature captured with a timestamp and IP address is enforceable for dispatcher-carrier and broker-carrier agreements in the United States.