New MC dispatch
Dispatch services for new trucking companies, from the day your MC goes active
The first months on a new authority are the hardest: brokers want history you don't have yet. We start with the brokers that load new MCs, set up your packets and bring you every load to confirm. 7% while your MC is under 6 months, then 5%. No contract.
- Fee, under 6 months
- 7%
- Fee, after 6 months
- 5%
- Setup fee
- $0
- Contract
- None
What the first 30 days on a new MC can look like
Driver A is made up. So is every detail of this month. We use a hypothetical because a new authority's first month varies too much for any honest company to promise one. What doesn't vary is the order of things: authority, packets, first load, first payment, and sooner or later a slow week.
Tap each stop to see what Driver A did and what the dispatch desk did. Notice where the yes comes from. It's always Driver A's.
Coming off a company truck? The company driver to owner-operator guide covers the money side of year one. Finishing a carrier lease-purchase first? Read lease purchase dispatch before you file.
Driver A · first 30 days
HypotheticalDriver A · Authority active
Driver A's MC shows active on FMCSA's site with insurance on file. A W-9 is signed and the truck is plated. Driver A applies for dispatch the same afternoon and gets a call back.
The desk
We go through Driver A's lanes, home time and floor rate, then build a short list of brokers known to load new authorities. Brokers that require months of history stay off the list for now.
Driver A · Packets
Driver A signs a stack of carrier packets and answers a few broker vetting calls. Some brokers approve inside a day. Others ask for more time or say no.
The desk
We send packets with the insurance certificate, W-9, authority letter and NOA, follow up on each one, and keep a running list of who approved and who didn't.
Driver A · First load
The first offer is a shorter run with an approved broker. Driver A reads the lane, rate and times, confirms, and the rate con arrives from the broker directly.
The desk
We negotiated before offering it, booked only after Driver A said yes, then handled check calls and lined up a reload near the delivery.
Driver A · First payment
Driver A factors the first invoices to cover fuel while broker terms run 30 days or more. The first deposit lands from the factoring company, not from us.
The desk
We collected the rate con, BOL and POD the day of delivery so the factoring submission was clean and nothing sat waiting on a missing signature.
Driver A · First slow week
A soft market week. Fewer offers clear Driver A's floor rate. Driver A passes on two loads and takes one with a longer deadhead because the reload pays.
The desk
We widen the search inside Driver A's rules, push packets to two more brokers that now accept the MC's age, and say plainly which lanes are thin.
The new carrier checklist, with the official source for each line
Brokers check most of this before they'll tender a load, so missing one item stalls everything. This list covers a for-hire interstate property carrier. Your state can add its own registrations, so check your state DOT too.
- 1
USDOT number and MC authority
A USDOT number and for-hire operating authority (MC number) from FMCSA. MC numbers are still issued and used while FMCSA rolls out its new registration system..
Your authority must show active before any broker can load you.
Source: FMCSA registration · checked Oct 2026
- 2
BOC-3 process agent filing
A BOC-3 designating a process agent in each state where you operate, filed before authority is granted.
Usually filed by a process agent company for you.
Source: 49 CFR 366 · checked Oct 2026
- 3
Insurance filed with FMCSA
At least $750,000 in public liability coverage for general freight in vehicles of 10,001 lb GVWR or more, filed with FMCSA by your insurer (BMC-91 or BMC-91X).
That's the federal minimum. Many brokers ask for $1,000,000 auto liability and $100,000 cargo coverage.
Source: 49 CFR 387.9; FMCSA insurance filing requirements · checked Oct 2026
- 4
UCR registration
Unified Carrier Registration, renewed every year, fee set by fleet size.
Paid yearly, before you run interstate.
Source: UCR Plan · checked Oct 2026
- 5
IRP plates and IFTA license
IRP apportioned plates and an IFTA fuel tax license from your base state when an interstate truck is over 26,000 lb or has 3 or more axles.
Your base state issues both.
Source: IFTA Articles of Agreement R245; IRP · checked Oct 2026
- 6
Form 2290 heavy vehicle use tax
Heavy vehicle use tax (IRS Form 2290) for trucks with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 lb or more.
Most loaded tractor-trailers cross this line; many box trucks don't.
Source: IRS Form 2290 · checked Oct 2026
- 7
Medical card on file
A current medical examiner's certificate from an examiner on FMCSA's National Registry, kept on file for each driver.
Required for interstate commercial driving, CDL or not.
Source: 49 CFR 391.41, 391.43, 391.51 · checked Oct 2026
- 8
Drug and alcohol program (CDL trucks only)
A CDL owner-operator is both employer and driver, and must run a random testing program with two or more covered drivers in the pool, which in practice means joining a consortium. A pre-employment test and Clearinghouse registration come first. If your truck doesn't require a CDL, this line doesn't apply to you. How a DOT consortium works for owner-operators.
Source: 49 CFR 382.103(b) · checked Oct 2026
CDL owner-operator without a program yet? See consortium pricing from Vertical IdentityWe may earn a referral fee if you sign up through this link. It does not change your price. Disclosure
Medical card questions? Read the DOT medical card guide
My paperwork is ready, start dispatch7% for the first 6 months, then 5%
A new MC takes more work per load: more packets, more vetting calls, more brokers saying "come back in 60 days." The new authority rate covers that extra work. When your authority turns 6 months old, the fee drops to the standard 5% on its own. You don't have to ask.
Add a second truck and both move to the 4% fleet rate (limited time). It's the same fee for every equipment type. No setup fee, no minimums, month-to-month with 30 days notice to cancel, and the fee is only charged on loads you haul. See every term in writing.
Brokers will not take a new MC? Some won't, and that's the honest truth. Plenty will. Part of what the higher early rate pays for is knowing which is which, so you don't burn a week on packets that were never going to clear.
7% while your MC is under 6 months old.On a $2,000 EXAMPLE load, the fee is $140.
Fuel is due today. The broker pays in 30 days.
That gap is where new carriers run out of cash, and it's why many factor their first invoices. A factoring company advances most of the invoice within days and collects from the broker. Some factor every load; others only factor slow-paying brokers. Ask about the advance rate, the fee per invoice, recourse terms, how fast funds land and how long the contract runs.
We refer carriers to our factoring partner, RTS Financial, and your NOA goes into every packet we send so brokers pay the right party. We may be paid for referrals. It doesn't change your rate.
New MC questions, straight answers
People search for the best dispatcher for new authority. Our test: they tell you which brokers will realistically load you this month, they never book without your yes, and the fee and terms are in writing before you start.
What do I need before you can dispatch me?
Active authority showing on FMCSA's site with your insurance filing posted, a signed W-9, a certificate of insurance brokers will accept, and your truck and trailer details. If you factor, add your notice of assignment. CDL carriers also need a drug and alcohol testing program in place, because brokers and FMCSA expect it before your first load.
Do I need my own drug testing program?
If you drive a truck that requires a CDL, yes. As an owner-operator you are both the employer and the driver, so you need a pre-employment test and enrollment in a random testing pool, usually through a consortium, plus FMCSA Clearinghouse registration. If your truck doesn't need a CDL, Part 382 testing rules don't apply to you.
Does my medical card matter for my new authority?
Yes. Any driver operating a commercial motor vehicle over 10,000 lb in interstate commerce needs a current medical examiner's certificate, CDL or not, and as the carrier you must keep it on file. An expired card can take your truck off the road. Talk to a certified medical examiner about your own situation.
Should a new carrier use factoring?
Many new carriers do, because brokers often pay in 30 days or more while fuel and insurance are due now. Factoring trades a small fee per invoice for cash within days. It isn't free money, so compare the advance rate, fees, recourse terms and contract length before you sign. We refer carriers to a partner and may be paid for it.
How long until brokers work with my new authority?
It depends on the broker. Some load a new MC from day one, many want 30 to 90 days of active authority, and some want longer or a set number of inspections. That's why we start with brokers that accept new authorities and add more as your MC ages. No dispatcher can make every broker say yes in week one.
Can I use dispatch before my authority is active?
We can talk, plan your lanes and get your packet documents ready, but no load can be booked until your authority is active and your insurance filing shows on FMCSA's site. Applying early is fine. We'll set your start date to the day your MC goes live.
What insurance do brokers ask new carriers for?
The federal minimum for general freight in trucks over 10,000 lb is $750,000 in liability, filed with FMCSA by your insurer. Most brokers ask for more: $1,000,000 auto liability and $100,000 cargo coverage are common requests, and some loads need higher cargo limits or reefer breakdown coverage. Check each broker's packet before you buy a policy.
Your MC is active. Let's get the first load on it.
Apply in about 2 minutes. A dispatcher calls, we set up packets with brokers that load new authorities, and every load comes to you first. 7% under 6 months, no setup fee.