Get approved. Stay approved.

Carrier setup

Why your carrier setup got rejected

The most common reasons brokers reject a carrier setup in 2026, from authority age and insurance limits to identity checks and W-9 mismatches, and how to fix each one.

Insurance

Why brokers want $1 million auto liability

The federal minimum is $750K, but most big brokers require $1M auto liability and $100K cargo. What the rules say, what brokers check, and how to raise your limit.

Insurance

What new authorities pay for truck insurance

Published 2026 premium ranges for new-authority owner-operators vs established carriers, what drives the price, and the levers that actually lower it.

Safety rating

Conditional safety rating: what it costs you and how to fix it

What Satisfactory, Conditional, Unsatisfactory and Unrated mean, which brokers reject Conditional, and how to request an upgrade from FMCSA under 49 CFR 385.17.

Carrier setup

Carrier packet checklist

Every document a freight broker asks for at carrier setup: W-9, COI, authority, NOA, BOC-3, broker-carrier agreement and more, with the details that cause rejections.

Inspections

Out-of-service rates: how brokers judge yours

Current FMCSA national out-of-service averages for vehicles, drivers and hazmat, how brokers compare your rates, and why a few inspections can swing a small carrier.

2026 changes

What changed for small carriers in 2026

Montgomery v. Caribe Transport II, C.H. Robinson's new carrier rules, the Motus registration system, MC numbers (not eliminated yet), English proficiency and the non-domiciled CDL rule.

New authority

Passing the new entrant safety audit

What FMCSA reviews in the 18-month new entrant program, the 16 violations that automatically fail the audit, and the deadlines if you do fail.